THE 
SECOND 
DELUGE 


GARRETT  P.  SERVISS 


LIBRARY 

UNIVLN       ,  '    01 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO       i 


1 


3  1822  01208  2970 


THE   SECOND   DELUGE 


THEY    MEANT    TO    CARRY    THK    ARK    WITH    A    RUSH  "       [Page  106] 


THE 
SECOND    DELUGE 


GARRETT    P.  SERVISS 

Author  of 

Moon  Metal,    A  Columbus  of  Space, 
Astronomy  with  the  Naked  Eye,   etc. 


ILLUSTRATIONS     BY 

GEORGE    VARIAN 


NEW    YORK 

McBRIDE,  NAST    &    COMPANY 
1912 


COPYRIGHT,   1912,   BY 
McBRIDE,  NAST   &   COMPANY 

COPYRIGHT,   1911,   1912,  BY 
THE  FRANK  A.  MUNSEY  Co. 


Published,  March,  1911 


FOREWORD 

WHAT  is  here  set  down  is  the  fruit  of  long  and 
careful  research  among  disjointed  records  left  by  sur 
vivors  of  the  terrible  events  described.  The  writer 
wishes  frankly  to  say  that,  in  some  instances,  he  has 
followed  the  course  which  all  historians  are  com 
pelled  to  take  by  using  his  imagination  to  round  out 
the  picture.  But  he  is  able  conscientiously  to  declare 
that  in  the  substance  of  his  narrative,  as  well  as  in 
every  detail  which  is  specifically  described,  he  has  fol 
lowed  faithfully  the  accounts  of  eyewitnesses,  or  of 
those  who  were  in  a  position  to  know  the  truth  of 
what  they  related. 


CONTENTS 


I.  COSMO  VERSAL 

II.  MOCKING  AT  FATE   ..... 

III.  THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE 

IV.  THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR 

V.  THE  THIRD    SIGN 

VI.  SELECTING   THE  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND 

VII.  THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE   . 

VIII.  STORMING   THE  ARK  . 

IX.  THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED   . 

X.  THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK 

XI.  "A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE" 

XII.  THE  SUBMERGENCE  OF   THE   OLD  WORLD 

XIII.  STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA   . 

XIV.  THE  ESCAPE  OF   THE  PRESIDENT 
XV.  PROFESSOR   PLUDDER'S  DEVICE 

XVI.  MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK        .... 

XVII.  THE  JULES  VERNE 

XVIII.  NAVIGATING  OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE 

XIX.  To  PARIS    UNDER  THE  SEA 

XX.  THE  ADVENTURES   IN  COLORADO 

XXI.  "THE   FATHER  OF  HORROR"     , 

XXII.  THE  TERRIBLE   NUCLEUS  ARRIVES 

XXIII.  ROBBING   THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD 

XXIV.  THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME 
XXV.  NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB    . 

XXVI.  NEW  AMERICA  . 


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ILLUSTRATIONS 

"THEY  MEANT  TO  CARRY  THE  ARK  WITH  A  RUSH" 

Frontispiece 

PAGE 

"THE  GREAT  BATTLESHIP  .   .   .   CRASHED,  PROW  ON, 

INTO  THE  STEEL-RIBBED  WALLS"        .         .        .     138 

"IT  IS  A  PROPHECY  OF  THE  SECOND  DELUGE"  .     304 

"AND  THEN  THEY  FLOATED  NEAR  THE  MONUMENTAL 

TOMB  OF  GENERAL  GRANT"       ....     371 


THE   SECOND    DELUGE 


THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

CHAPTER  I 

COSMO   VERSAL 

AN  undersized,  lean,  wizen-faced  man,  with  an 
immense  bald  head,  as  round  and  smooth  and 
shining  as  a  giant  soap-bubble,  and  a  pair  of  beady 
black  eyes,  set  close  together,  so  that  he  resembled 
a  gnome  of  amazing  brain  capacity  and  prodigious 
power  of  concentration,  sat  bent  over  a  writing  desk 
with  a  huge  sheet  of  cardboard  before  him,  on  which 
he  was  swiftly  drawing  geometrical  and  trigonometri 
cal  figures.  Compasses,  T-squares,  rulers,  protrac 
tors,  and  ellipsographs  obeyed  the  touch  of  his  fingers 
as  if  inspired  with  life. 

The  room  around  him  was  a  jungle  of  terrestrial 
and  celestial  globes,  chemists'  retorts,  tubes,  pipes, 
and  all  the  indescribable  apparatus  that  modern  sci 
ence  has  invented,  and  which,  to  the  uninitiated, 
seems  as  incomprehensible  as  the  ancient  parapher 
nalia  of  alchemists  and  astrologers.  The  walls  were 
lined  with  book  shelves,  and  adorned  along  the 
upper  portions  with  the  most  extraordinary  photo- 

3 


4  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

graphs  and  drawings.  Even  the  ceiling  was  covered 
with  charts,  some  representing  the  sky,  while  many 
others  were  geological  and  topographical  pictures  of 
the  face  of  the  earth. 

Beside  the  drawing-board  lay  a  pad  of  paper,  and 
occasionally  the  little  man  nervously  turned  to  this, 
and,  grasping  a  long  pencil,  made  elaborate  calcula 
tions,  covering  the  paper  with  a  sprinkling  of  mathe 
matical  symbols  that  looked  like  magnified  animal- 
cula.  While  he  worked,  under  a  high  light  from  a 
single  window  placed  well  up  near  the  ceiling,  his 
forehead  contracted  into  a  hundred  wrinkles,  his 
cheeks  became  feverous,  his  piercing  eyes  glowed  with 
inner  fire,  and  drops  of  perspiration  ran  down  in 
front  of  his  ears.  One  would  have  thought  that  he 
was  laboring  to  save  his  very  soul  and  had  but  a 
few  seconds  of  respite  left. 

Presently  he  threw  down  the  pencil,  and  with  as 
tonishing  agility  let  himself  rapidly,  but  carefully, 
off  the  stool  on  which  he  had  been  sitting,  keeping 
the  palms  of  his  hands  on  the  seat  beside  his  hips 
until  he  felt  his  feet  touch  the  floor.  Then  he  darted 
at  a  book-shelf,  pulled  down  a  ponderous  tome, 
flapped  it  open  in  a  clear  space  on  the  floor,  and 
dropped  on  his  knees  to  consult  it. 

After  turning  a  leaf  or  two  he  found  what  he  was 
after,  read  down  the  page,  keeping  a  finger  on  the 
lines,  and,  having  finished  his  reading,  jumped  to  his 
feet  and  hurried  back  to  the  stool,  on  which  he 


COSMO  VERSAL  5 

mounted  so  quickly  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  how 
he  managed  it  without  an  upset.  Instantly  he  made 
a  new  diagram,  and  then  fell  to  figuring  furiously 
on  the  pad,  making  his  pencil  gyrate  so  fast  that  its 
upper  end  vibrated  like  the  wing  of  a  dragon-fly. 

At  last  he  threw  down  the  pencil,  and,  encircling 
his  knees  with  his  clasped  arms,  sank  in  a  heap  on 
the  stool.  The  lids  dropped  over  his  shining  eyes, 
and  he  became  buried  in  thought. 

When  he  reopened  his  eyes  and  unbent  his  brows, 
his  gaze  happened  to  be  directed  toward  a  row  of 
curious  big  photographs  which  ran  like  a  pictured 
frieze  round  the  upper  side  of  the  wall  of  the  room. 
A  casual  observer  might  have  thought  that  the  little 
man  had  been  amusing  himself  by  photographing 
the  explosions  of  fireworks  on  a  Fourth  of  July  night; 
but  it  was  evident  by  his  expression  that  these  singular 
pictures  had  no  connection  with  civic  pyrotechnics, 
but  must  represent  something  of  incomparably  greater 
importance,  and,  in  fact,  of  stupendous  import. 

The  little  man's  face  took  on  a  rapt  look,  in  which 
wonder  and  fear  seemed  to  be  blended.  With  a 
sweep  of  his  hand  he  included  the  whole  series  of 
photographs  in  a  comprehensive  glance,  and  then, 
settling  his  gaze  upon  a  particularly  bizarre  object 
in  the  center,  he  began  to  speak  aloud,  although  there 
was  nobody  to  listen  to  him. 

"  My  God!  "  he  said.  "  That's  it!  That  Lick 
photograph  of  the  Lord  Rosse  Nebula  is  its  very 


6  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

image,  except  that  there's  no  electric  fire  in  it.  The 
same  great  whirl  of  outer  spirals,  and  then  comes  the 
awful  central  mass — and  we're  going  to  plunge 
straight  into  it.  Then  quintillions  of  tons  of  water 
will  condense  on  the  earth  and  cover  it  like  a  uni 
versal  cloudburst.  And  then  good-by  to  the  human 
race — unless — unless — I,  Cosmo  Versal,  inspired  by 
science,  can  save  a  remnant  to  repeople  the  planet 
after  the  catastrophe." 

Again,  for  a  moment,  he  closed  his  eyes,  and  puck 
ered  his  hemispherical  brow,  while,  with  drawn-up 
knees,  he  seemed  perilously  balanced  on  the  high 
stool.  Several  times  he  slowly  shook  his  head,  like 
a  dreaming  owl,  and  when  his  eyes  reopened  their 
fire  was  gone,  and  a  reflective  film  covered  them.  He 
began  to  speak,  more  deliberately  than  before,  and 
in  a  musing  tone : 

"What  can  I  do?  I  don't  believe  there  is  a 
mountain  on  the  face  of  the  globe  lofty  enough  to 
lift  its  head  above  that  flood.  Hum,  hum !  It's  no 
use  thinking  about  mountains !  The  flood  will  be 
six  miles  deep — six  miles  from  the  present  sea-level; 
my  last  calculation  proves  it  beyond  all  question. 
And  that's  only  a  minimum — it  may  be  miles  deeper, 
for  no  mortal  man  can  tell  exactly  what'll  happen 
when  the  earth  plunges  into  a  nebula. 

"We'll  have  to  float;  that's  the  thing.  I'll  have 
to  build  an  ark.  I'll  be  a  second  Noah.  But  I'll 
advise  the  whole  world  to  build  arks. 


COSMO  VERSAL  7 

"  Millions  might  save  themselves  that  way,  for  the 
flood  is  not  going  to  last  forever.  We'll  get  through 
the  nebula  in  a  few  months,  and  then  the  waters  will 
gradually  recede,  and  the  high  lands  will  emerge 
again.  It'll  be  an  awful  long  time,  though;  I  doubt 
if  the  earth  will  ever  be  just  as  it  was  before.  There 
won't  be  much  room,  except  for  fish — but  there  won't 
be  many  inhabitants  for  what  dry  land  there  is." 

Once  more  he  fell  into  silent  meditation,  and 
while  he  mused  there  came  a  knock  at  the  door.  The 
little  man  started  up  on  his  seat,  alert  as  a  squirrel, 
and  turned  his  eyes  over  his  shoulder,  listening  in 
tently.  The  knock  was  repeated — three  quick  sharp 
raps.  Evidently  he  at  once  recognized  them. 

"  All  right,"  he  called  out,  and,  letting  himself 
down,  ran  swiftly  to  the  door  and  opened  it. 

A  tall,  thin  man,  with  bushy  black  hair,  heavy 
eyebrows,  a  high,  narrow  forehead,  and  a  wide, 
clean  shaven  mouth,  wearing  a  solemn  kind  of  smile, 
entered  and  grasped  the  little  man  by  both  hands. 

"  Cosmo,"  he  said,  without  wasting  any  time  on 
preliminaries,  "  have  you  worked  it  out?  " 

"  I  have  just  finished." 

"  And  you  find  the  worst?  " 
'  Yes,  worse  than  I  ever  dreamed  it  would  be. 
The  waters  will  be  six  miles  deep." 

"  Phew !  "  exclaimed  the  other,  his  smile  fading. 
'  That  is  indeed  serious.     And  when  does  it  begin?  " 

"  Inside  of  a  year.     We're  within  three  hundred 


8  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

million  miles  of  the  watery  nebula  now,  and  you 
know  that  the  earth  travels  more  than  that  distance 
in  twelve  months." 

"  Have  you  seen  it?  " 

"  How  could  I  see  it — haven't  I  told  you  it  is 
invisible?  If  it  could  be  seen  all  these  stupid  astron 
omers  would  have  spotted  it  long  ago.  But  I'll  tell 
you  what  I  have  seen." 

Cosmo  Versal's  voice  sank  into  a  whisper,  and 
he  shuddered  slightly  as  he  went  on: 

"  Only  last  night  I  was  sweeping  the  sky  with  the 
telescope  when  I  noticed,  in  Hercules  and  Lyra,  and 
all  that  part  of  the  heavens,  a  dimming  of  some  of 
the  fainter  stars.  It  was  like  the  shadow  of  the 
shroud  of  a  ghost.  Nobody  else  would  have  noticed 
it,  and  I  wouldn't  if  I  had  not  been  looking  for  it. 
It's  knowledge  that  clarifies  the  eyes  and  breeds 
knowledge,  Joseph  Smith.  It  was  not  truly  visible, 
and  yet  I  could  see  that  it  was  there.  I  tried  to 
make  out  the  shape  of  the  thing — but  it  was  too 
indefinite.  But  I  know  very  well  what  it  is.  See 
here  " — he  suddenly  broke  off — "  Look  at  that  photo 
graph."  (He  was  pointing  at  the  Lord  Rosse 
Nebula  on  the  wall).  "  It's  like  that,  only  it's  com 
ing  edgewise  toward  us.  We  may  miss  some  of  the 
outer  spirals,  but  we're  going  smash  into  the  center." 

With  fallen  jaw,  and  black  brows  contracted, 
Joseph  Smith  stared  at  the  photograph. 

"  It  doesn't  shine  like  that,"  he  said  at  last. 


COSMO  VERSAL  9 

The  little  man  snorted  contemptuously. 

"What  have  I  told  you  about  its  invisibility?" 
he  demanded. 

"  But  how,  then,  do  you  know  that  it  is  of  a 
watery  nature?  " 

Cosmo  Versal  threw  up  his  hands  and  waved  them 
in  an  agony  of  impatience.  He  climbed  upon 
his  stool  to  get  nearer  the  level  of  the  other's  eyes, 
and  fixing  him  with  his  gaze,  exclaimed: 

"  You  know  very  well  how  I  know  it.  I  know 
it  because  I  have  demonstrated  with  my  new  spec 
troscope,  which  analyzes  extra-visual  rays,  that  all 
those  dark  nebulae  that  were  photographed  in  the 
Milky  Way  years  ago  are  composed  of  watery  vapor. 
They  are  far  off,  on  the  limits  of  the  universe.  This 
one  is  one  right  at  hand.  It's  a  little  one  compared 
with  them — but  it's  enough,  yes,  it's  enough !  You 
know  that  more  than  two  years  ago  I  began  to  cor 
respond  with  astronomers  all  over  the  world  about 
this  thing,  and  not  one  of  them  would  listen  to  me. 
Well,  they'll  listen  when  it's  too  late  perhaps. 

"  They'll  listen  when  the  flood-gates  are  opened 
and  the  inundation  begins.  It's  not  the  first  time 
that  this  thing  has  happened.  I  haven't  a  doubt 
that  the  flood  of  Noah,  that  everybody  pretends  to 
laugh  at  now,  was  caused  by  the  earth  passing  through 
a  watery  nebula.  But  this  will  be  worse  than  that; 
there  weren't  two  thousand  million  people  to  be 
drowned  then." 


io  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

For  five  minutes  neither  spoke.  Cosmo  Versal 
swung  on  the  stool,  and  played  with  an  ellipsograph; 
Joseph  Smith  dropped  his  chin  on  his  breast  and 
nervously  fingered  the  pockets  of  his  long  vest. 
At  last  he  raised  his  head  and  asked,  in  a  low 
voice : 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Cosmo?  " 

11  I'm  going  to  get  ready,"  was  the  short  reply. 

"How?" 

"  Build  an  ark." 

"  But  will  you  give  no  warning  to  others?  " 

"  I'll  do  rny  best.  I'll  telephone  to  all  the  officials, 
scientific  and  otherwise,  in  America,  Europe,  Africa, 
Asia,  and  Australia.  I'll  write  in  every  language 
to  all  the  newspapers  and  magazines.  I'll  send  out 
circulars.  I'll  counsel  everybody  to  drop  every  other 
occupation  and  begin  to  build  arks — but  nobody  will 
heed  me.  You'll  see.  My  ark  will  be  the  only  one, 
but  I'll  save  as  many  in  it  as  I  can.  And  I  depend 
upon  you,  Joseph,  to  help  me.  From  all  appear 
ances,  it's  the  only  chance  that  the  human  race  has 
of  survival. 

"  If  I  hadn't  made  this  discovery  they  would  all 
have  been  wiped  out  like  miners  in  a  flooded  pit. 
We  may  persuade  a  few  to  be  saved — but  what  an 
awful  thing  it  is  that  when  the  truth  is  thrust  into 
their  very  faces  people  won't  believe,  won't  listen, 
won't  see,  won't  be  helped,  but  will  die  like  dogs  in 
their  obstinate  ignorance  and  blindness." 


COSMO  VERSAL  n 

"  But  they  will,  they  must,  listen  to  you,"  said 
Joseph  Smith  eagerly. 

"  They  won't,  but  I  must  make  them,"  replied 
Cosmo  Versal.  "  Anyhow,  I  must  make  a  few  of 
the  best  of  them  hear  me.  The  fate  of  a  whole 
race  is  at  stake.  If  we  can  save  a  handful  of  the 
best  blood  and  brain  of  mankind,  the  world  will 
have  a  new  chance,  and  perhaps  a  better  and  higher 
race  will  be  the  result.  Since  I  can't  save  them  all, 
I'll  pick  and  choose.  I'll  have  the  flower  of  human 
ity  in  my  ark.  I'll  at  least  snatch  that  much  from 
the  jaws  of  destruction." 

The  little  man  was  growing  very  earnest  and 
his  eyes  were  aglow  with  the  fire  of  enthusiastic 
purpose.  As  he  dropped  his  head  on  one  side, 
it  looked  too  heavy  for  the  stemlike  neck,  but  it 
conveyed  an  impression  of  immense  intellectual 
power.  Its  imposing  contour  lent  force  to  his 
words. 

"  The  flower  of  humanity,"  he  continued  after  a 
slight  pause.  "Who  composes  it?  I  must  decide 
that  question.  Is  it  the  billionaires?  Is  it  the  kings 
and  rulers?  Is  it  the  men  of  science?  Is  it  the 
society  leaders?  Bah!  I'll  have  to  think  on  that. 
I  can't  take  them  all,  but  I'll  give  them  all  a  chance 
to  save  themselves — though  I  know  they  won't  act 
on  the  advice." 

Here  he  paused. 

'  Won't  the  existing  ships  do — especially  if  more 


12  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

are  built?"  Joseph  Smith  suddenly  asked,  interrupt 
ing  Cosmo's  train  of  thought. 

"  Not  at  all,"  was  the  reply.  "  They're  not 
suited  to  the  kind  of  navigation  that  will  be  de 
manded.  They're  not  buoyant  enough,  nor  manage 
able  enough,  and  they  haven't  enough  carrying  capac 
ity  for  power  and  provisions.  They'll  be  swamped 
at  the  wharves,  or  if  they  should  get  away  they'd 
be  sent  to  the  bottom  inside  a  few  hours.  Nothing 
but  specially  constructed  arks  will  serve.  And  there's 
more  trouble  for  me — I  must  devise  a  new  form  of 
vessel.  Heavens,  how  short  the  time  is!  Why 
couldn't  I  have  found  this  out  ten  years  ago?  It's 
only  to-day  that  I  have  myself  learned  the  full  truth, 
though  I  have  worked  on  it  so  long." 

"  How  many  will  you  be  able  to  carry  in  your 
ark?  "  asked  Smith. 

"  I  can't  tell  yet.  That's  another  question  to  be 
carefully  considered.  I  shall  build  the  vessel  of  this 
new  metal,  levium,  half  as  heavy  as  aluminum  anH 
twice  as  strong  as  steel.  I  ought  to  find  room  with 
out  the  slightest  difficulty  for  a  round  thousand  in  it." 

"  Surely  many  more  than  that!  "  exclaimed  Joseph 
Smith.  "  Why,  there  are  ocean-liners  that  carry 
several  times  as  many." 

"  You  forget,"  replied  Cosmo  Versal,  "  that  we 
must  have  provisions  enough  to  last  for  a  long  time, 
because  we  cannot  count  on  the  immediate  re-emerg 
ence  of  any  land,  even  the  most  mountainous,  and 


COSMO  VERSAL  13 

the  most  compressed  food  takes  space  when  a  great 
quantity  is  needed.  It  won't  do  to  overcrowd  the 
vessel,  and  invite  sickness.  Then,  too,  I  must  take 
many  animals  along." 

"  Animals,"  returned  Smith.  "  I  hadn't  thought 
of  that.  But  is  it  necessary?  " 

"  Absolutely.  Would  you  have  less  foresight  than 
Noah?  I  shall  not  imitate  him  by  taking  male  and 
female  of  every  species,  but  I  must  at  least  provide 
for  restocking  such  land  as  eventually  appears  above 
the  waters  with  the  animals  most  useful  to  man. 
Then,  too,  animals  are  essential  to  the  life  of  the 
earth.  Any  agricultural  chemist  would  tell  you  that. 
,They  play  an  indispensable  part  in  the  vital  cycle  of 
the  soil.  I  must  also  take  certain  species  of  insects 
and  birds.  I'll  telephone  Professor  Hergeschmitber- 
ger  at  Berlin  to  learn  precisely  what  are  the  capitally 
important  species  of  the  animal  kingdom." 

"  And  when  will  you  begin  the  construction  of 
the  ark?" 

"  Instantly.  There's  not  a  moment  to  lose.  And 
it's  equally  important  to  send  out  warnings  broadcast 
immediately.  There  you  can  help  me.  You  know 
what  I  want  to  say.  Write  it  out  at  once;  put  it 
as  strong  as  you  can;  send  it  everywhere;  put  it  in 
the  shape  of  posters;  hurry  it  to  the  newspaper  offices. 
Telephone,  in  my  name,  to  the  Carnegie  Institution, 
to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  to  the  Royal  Society, 
to  the  French,  Russian,  Italian,  German,  and  all 


i4  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  other  Academies  and  Associations  of  Science  to 
be  found  anywhere  on  earth. 

"  Don't  neglect  the  slightest  means  of  publicity. 
Thank  Heaven,  the  money  to  pay  for  all  this  is 
not  lacking.  If  my  good  father,  when  he  piled  up 
his  fortune  from  the  profits  of  the  Transcontinental 
Aerian  Company,  could  have  foreseen  the  use  to 
which  his  son  would  put  it  for  the  benefit — what  do 
I  say,  for  the  benefit?  nay,  for  the  salvation — of 
mankind,  he  would  have  rejoiced  in  his  work." 

"  Ah,  that  reminds  me,"  exclaimed  Joseph  Smith. 
"  I  was  about  to  ask,  a  few  minutes  ago,  why  air 
ships  would  not  do  for  this  business.  Couldn't  peo 
ple  save  themselves  from  the  flood  by  taking  refuge 
in  the  atmosphere?" 

Cosmo  Versal  looked  at  his  questioner  with  an 
ironical  smile. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  asked,  "  how  long  a  dirigible 
can  be  kept  afloat?  Do  you  know  for  how  long  a 
voyage  the  best  aeroplane  types  can  be  provisioned 
with  power?  There's  not  an  air-ship  of  any  kind 
that  can  go  more  than  two  weeks  at  the  very  utter 
most  without  touching  solid  earth,  and  then  it  must 
be  mighty  sparing  of  its  power.  If  we  can  save 
mankind  now,  and  give  it  another  chance,  perhaps 
the  time  will  come  when  power  can  be  drawn  out 
of  the  ether  of  space,  and  men  can  float  in  the  air 
as  long  as  they  choose. 

"  But  as  things  are  now,  we  must  go  back  to  Noah's 


COSMO  VERSAL  15 

plan,  and  trust  to  the  buoyant  power  of  water.  I 
fully  expect  that  when  the  deluge  begins  people  will 
flock  to  the  high-lands  and  the  mountains  in  air-ships 
— but  alas !  that  won't  save  them.  Remember  what 
I  have  told  you — this  flood  is  going  to  be  six  miles 
deep!" 

The  second  morning  after  the  conversation  between 
Cosmo  Versal  and  Joseph  Smith,  New  York  was 
startled  by  seeing,  in  huge  red  letters,  on  every  blank 
wall,  on  the  bare  flanks  of  towering  sky-scrapers,  on 
the  lofty  stations  of  aeroplane  lines,  on  bill-boards, 
fences,  advertising-boards  along  suburban  roads,  in 
the  Subway  stations,  and  fluttering  from  strings  of 
kites  over  the  city,  the  following  announcement: 

THE  WORLD  Is  To  BE  DROWNED! 

Save  Yourselves  While  It  Is  Yet  Time ! 
Drop  Your  Business :  It  Is  of  No  Consequence ! 

Build  Arks:  It  Is  Your  Only  Salvation! 
The   Earth   Is   Going   To    Plunge    into   a   Watery 

Nebula :  There  Is  No  Escape ! 
Hundreds  of  Millions  Will  Be  Drowned:  You  Have 

Only  a  Few  Months  To  Get  Ready ! 

For  Particulars  Address:   Cosmo   Versal, 

3000  Fifth  Avenue. 


CHAPTER  II 

MOCKING  AT  FATE 

T  T  THEN  New  York  recovered  from  its  first  aston 
ishment  over  the  extraordinary  posters,  it  in 
dulged  in  a  loud  laugh.  Everybody  knew  who 
Cosmo  Versal  was.  His  eccentricities  had  filled 
many  readable  columns  in  the  newspapers.  Yet 
there  was  a  certain  respect  for  him,  too.  This  was 
due  to  his  extraordinary  intellectual  ability  and  un 
questionable  scientific  knowledge.  But  his  imagina 
tion  was  as  free  as  the  winds,  and  it  often  led  him 
upon  excursions  in  which  nobody  could  follow  him, 
and  which  caused  the  more  steady-going  scientific 
brethren  to  shake  their  heads.  They  called  him  able 
but  flighty.  The  public  considered  him  brilliant  and 
amusing. 

His  father,  who  had  sprung  from  some  unknown 
source  in  southeastern  Europe,  and,  beginning  as  a 
newsboy  in  New  York,  had  made  his  way  to  the 
front  in  the  financial  world,  had  left  his  entire  for 
tune  to  Cosmo.  The  latter  had  no  taste  for  finance 
or  business,  but  a  devouring  appetite  for  science,  to 
which,  in  his  own  way,  he  devoted  all  his  powers,  all 
his  time,  and  all  his  money.  He  never  married,  was 

16 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  17 

never  seen  in  society,  and  had  very  few  intimates — 
but  he  was  known  by  sight,  or  reputation,  to  every 
body.  There  was  not  a  scientific  body  or  associa 
tion  of  any  consequence  in  the  world  of  which  he 
was  not  a  member.  Those  which  looked  askance  at 
his  bizarre  ideas  were  glad  to  accept  pecuniary  aid 
from  him. 

The  notion  that  the  world  was  to  be  drowned 
had  taken  possession  of  him  about  three  years  before 
the  opening  scene  of  this  narrative.  To  work  out 
the  idea,  he  built  an  observatory,  set  up  a  laboratory, 
invented  instruments,  including  his  strange  spectro 
scope,  which  was  scoffed  at  by  the  scientific  world. 

Finally,  submitting  the  results  of  his  observations 
to  mathematical  treatment,  he  proved,  to  his  own 
satisfaction,  the  absolute  correctness  of  his  thesis  that 
the  well-known  "  proper  motion  of  the  solar  system  " 
was  about  to  result  in  an  encounter  between  the 
earth  and  an  invisible  watery  nebula,  which  would 
have  the  effect  of  inundating  the  globe.  As  this 
startling  idea  gradually  took  shape,  he  communicated 
it  to  scientific  men  in  all  lands,  but  failed  to  find  a 
single  disciple,  except  his  friend  Joseph  Smith,  who, 
without  being  able  to  follow  all  his  reasonings,  ac 
cepted  on  trust  the  conclusions  of  Cosmo's  more 
powerful  mind.  Accordingly,  at  the  end  of  his  in 
vestigation,  he  enlisted  Smith  as  secretary,  propa 
gandist,  and  publicity  agent. 

New  York  laughed  a  whole  day  and  night  at  the 


1 8  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

warning  red  letters.  They  were  the  talk  of  the 
town.  People  joked  about  them  in  cafes,  clubs,  at 
home,  in  the  streets,  in  the  offices,  in  the  exchanges, 
in  the  street-cars,  on  the  Elevated,  in  the  Subways. 
Crowds  gathered  on  corners  to  watch  the  flapping 
posters  aloft  on  the  kite  lines.  The  afternoon  news 
papers  issued  specials  which  were  all  about  the  com 
ing  flood,  and  everywhere  one  heard  the  cry  of  the 
newsboys:  "  Extra-a-a!  Drowning  of  a  Thousand 
Million  people!  Cosmo  Versal  predicts  the  End  of 
the  World!  "  On  their  editorial  pages  the  papers 
were  careful  to  discount  the  scare  lines,  and  terrific 
pictures,  that  covered  the  front  sheets,  with  humorous 
jibes  at  the  author  of  the  formidable  prediction. 

The  Owl,  which  was  the  only  paper  that  put  the 
news  in  half  a  column  of  ordinary  type,  took  a  judi 
cial  attitude,  called  upon  the  city  authorities  to  tear 
down  the  posters,  and  hinted  that  u  this  absurd  per 
son,  Cosmo  Versal,  who  disgraces  a  once  honored 
name  with  his  childish  attempt  to  create  a  sensation 
that  may  cause  untold  harm  among  the  ignorant 
masses,"  had  laid  himself  open  to  criminal  prosecu 
tion. 

In  their  latest  editions,  several  of  the  papers  printed 
an  interview  with  Cosmo  Versal,  in  which  he  gave 
figures  and  calculations  that,  on  their  face,  seemed 
to  offer  mathematical  proof  of  the  correctness  of  his 
forecast.  In  impassioned  language,  he  implored  the 
public  to  believe  that  he  would  not  mislead  them, 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  19 

spoke  of  the  instant  necessity  of  constructing  arks 
of  safety,  and  averred  that  the  presence  of  the  terrible 
nebula  that  was  so  soon  to  drown  the  world  was 
already  manifest  in  the  heavens. 

Some  readers  of  these  confident  statements  began 
to  waver,  especially  when  confronted  with  mathe 
matics  which  they  could  not  understand.  But  still, 
in  general,  the  laugh  went  on.  It  broke  into  boister- 
ousness  in  one  of  the  largest  theaters  where  a  bright- 
witted  "  artist,"  who  always  made  a  point  of  hitting 
off  the  very  latest  sensation,  got  himself  up  in  a  life 
like  imitation  of  the  well-known  figure  of  Cosmo 
Versal,  topped  with  a  bald  head  as  big  as  a  bushel, 
and  sailed  away  into  the  flies  with  a  pretty  member 
of  the  ballet,  whom  he  had  gallantly  snatched  from 
a  tumbling  ocean  of  green  baize,  singing  at  the  top 
of  his  voice  until  they  disappeared  behind  the  pro 
scenium  arch: 

"  Oh,  th'  Nebula  is  coming 

To   drown   the   wicked   earth, 
With  all  his  spirals  humming 

'S  he  waltzes  in  his  mirth. 

Chorus 
"  Don't  hesitate  a  second, 

Get  ready  to  embark, 
And  skip  away  to  safety 

With  Cosmo  and  his  ark. 

"Th'  Nebula  is  a  direful  bird 

'S  he  skims  the  ether  blue! 
He's   angry  over  what  he's  heard, 

'N's  got  his  eye  on  you. 


20  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Chorus 
"  Don't  hesitate  a  second,  etc. 

"When  Nebulas  begin  to  pipe 

The  bloomin'  O.  H.  2 
Y'bet  yer  life  the  time  is  ripe 

To  think  what  you  will  do. 

Chorus 
"  Don't  hesitate  a  second,  etc. 

"He'll  tip  th'  Atlantic  o'er  its  brim, 

And  swamp  the  mountains  tall; 
He'll  let  the  broad  Pacific  in, 

And  leave  no  land  at  all. 

Chorus 
"  Don't  hesitate  a  second,  etc. 

"  He's  got  an  option  on  the  spheres ; 

He's  leased  the  Milky  Way; 
He's  caught  the  planets  in  arrears, 

'N's  bound  to  make  'em  pay. 

Chorus 
"  Don't  hesitate  a  second,  etc." 

The  roars  of  laughter  and  applause  with  which 
this  effusion  of  vaudeville  genius  was  greeted,  showed 
the  cheerful  spirit  in  which  the  public  took  the  affair. 
No  harm  seemed  to  have  come  to  the  "  ignorant 
masses  "  yet. 

But  the  next  morning  there  was  a  suspicious  change 
in  the  popular  mind.  People  were  surprised  to  see 
new  posters  in  place  of  the  old  ones,  more  lurid  in 
letters  and  language  than  the  original.  The  morn- 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  21 

ing  papers  had  columns  of  description  and  comment, 
and  some  of  them  seemed  disposed  to  treat  the 
prophet  and  his  prediction  with  a  certain  degree  of 
seriousness. 

The  savants  who  had  been  interviewed  overnight, 
did  not  talk  very  convincingly,  and  made  the  mistake 
of  flinging  contempt  on  both  Cosmo  and  "  the  gulli 
ble  public." 

Naturally,  the  public  wouldn't  stand  for  that,  and 
the  pendulum  of  opinion  began  to  swing  the  other 
way.  Cosmo  helped  his  cause  by  sending  to  every 
newspaper  a  carefully  prepared  statement  of  his  ob 
servations  and  calculations,  in  which  he  spoke  with 
such  force  of  conviction  that  few  could  read  his 
words  without  feeling  a  thrill  of  apprehensive  un 
certainty.  This  was  strengthened  by  published  dis 
patches  which  showed  that  he  had  forwarded  his 
warnings  to  all  the  well-known  scientific  bodies  of  the 
world,  which,  while  decrying  them,  made  no  effective 
response. 

And  then  came  a  note  of  positive  alarm  in  a 
double-leaded  bulletin  from  the  new  observatory  at 
Mount  McKinley,  which  affirmed  that  during  the 
preceding  night  a  singular  obscurity  had  been  sus 
pected  in  the  northern  sky,  seeming  to  veil  many  stars 
below  the  twelfth  magnitude.  It  was  added  that 
the  phenomenon  was  unprecedented,  but  that  the  ob 
servation  was  both  difficult  and  uncertain. 

Nowhere  was  the  atmosphere  of  doubt  and  mys- 


22  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

tery,  which  now  began  to  hang  over  the  public,  so 
remarkable  as  in  Wall  Street.  The  sensitive  cur 
rents  there  responded  like  electric  waves  to  the  new 
influence,  and,  to  the  dismay  of  hard-headed  ob 
servers,  the  market  dropped  as  if  it  had  been  hit 
with  a  sledge-hammer.  Stocks  went  down  five,  ten, 
in  some  cases  twenty  points  in  as  many  minutes. 

The  speculative  issues  slid  down  like  wheat  into 
a  bin  when  the  chutes  are  opened.  Nobody  could 
trace  the  exact  origin  of  the  movement,  but  selling- 
orders  came  tumbling  in  until  there  was  a  veritable 
panic. 

From  London,  Paris,  Berlin,  Vienna,  St.  Peters 
burg,  flashed  dispatches  announcing  that  the  same 
unreasonable  slump  had  manifested  itself  there,  and 
all  united  in  holding  Cosmo  Versal  solely  responsible 
for  the  foolish  break  in  prices.  Leaders  of  finance 
rushed  to  the  exchanges  trying  by  arguments  and  ex 
postulations  to  arrest  the  downfall,  but  in  vain. 

In  the  afternoon,  however,  reason  partially  re 
sumed  its  sway;  then  a  quick  recovery  was  felt,  and 
many  who  had  rushed  to  sell  all  they  had,  found 
cause  to  regret  their  precipitancy.  The  next  day  all 
was  on  the  mend,  as  far  as  the  stock  market  was 
concerned,  but  among  the  people  at  large  the  poison 
of  awakened  credulity  continued  to  spread,  nourished 
by  fresh  announcements  from  the  fountain  head. 

Cosmo  issued  another  statement  to  the  effect  that 
he  had  perfected  plans  for  an  ark  of  safety,  which 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  23 

he  would  begin  at  once  to  construct  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  New  York,  and  he  not  only  offered  freely 
to  give  his  plans  to  any  who  wished  to  commence 
construction  on  their  own  account,  but  he  urged  them, 
in  the  name  of  Heaven,  to  lose  no  time.  This  pro 
duced  a  prodigious  effect,  and  multitudes  began  to 
be  infected  with  a  nameless  fear. 

Meanwhile  an  extraordinary  scene  occurred,  behind 
closed  doors,  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Carnegie  In 
stitution  in  Washington.  Joseph  Smith,  acting  under 
Cosmo  VersaTs  direction,  had  forwarded  an  elabo 
rate  precis  of  the  latter's  argument,  accompanied  with 
full  mathematical  details,  to  the  head  of  the  institu 
tion.  The  character  of  this  document  was  such  that 
it  could  not  be  ignored.  Moreover,  the  savants  com 
posing  the  council  of  the  most  important  scientific 
association  in  the  world  were  aware  of  the  state  of 
the  public  mind,  and  felt  that  it  was  incumbent  upon 
them  to  do  something  to  allay  the  alarm.  Of  late 
years  a  sort  of  supervisory  control  over  scientific 
news  of  all  kinds  had  been  accorded  to  them,  and  they 
appreciated  the  fact  that  a  duty  now  rested  upon 
their  shoulders. 

Accordingly,  a  special  meeting  was  called  to  con 
sider  the  communication  from  Cosmo  Versal.  It  was 
the  general  belief  that  a  little  critical  examination 
would  result  in  complete  proof  of  the  fallacy  of  all 
his  work,  proof  which  could  be  put  in  a  form  that 
the  most  uninstructed  would  understand. 


24  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

But  the  papers,  diagrams,  and  mathematical 
formulae  had  no  sooner  been  spread  upon  the  table 
under  the  knowing  eyes  of  the  learned  members  of 
the  council,  than  a  chill  of  conscious  impuissance  ran 
through  them.  They  saw  that  Cosmo's  mathematics 
were  unimpeachable.  His  formulae  were  accurately 
deduced,  and  his  operations  absolutely  correct. 

They  could  do  nothing  but  attack  his  fundamental 
data,  based  on  the  alleged  revelations  of  his  new 
form  of  spectroscope,  and  on  telescopic  observations 
which  were  described  in  so  much  detail  that  the  only 
way  to  combat  them  was  by  the  general  assertion 
that  they  were  illusory.  This  was  felt  to  be  a  very 
unsatisfactory  method  of  procedure,  as  far  as  the 
public  was  concerned,  because  it  amounted  to  no  more 
than  attacking  the  credibility  of  a  witness  who  pre 
tended  to  describe  only  what  he  himself  had  seen— 
and  there  is  nothing  so  hard  as  to  prove  a  negative. 

Then,  Cosmo  had  on  his  side  the  whole  force  of 
that  curious  tendency  of  the  human  mind  which 
habitually  gravitates  toward  whatever  is  extraordi 
nary,  revolutionary,  and  mysterious. 

But  a  yet  greater  difficulty  arose.  Mention  has 
been  made  of  the  strange  bulletin  from  the  Mount 
McKinley  observatory.  That  had  been  incautiously 
sent  out  to  the  public  by  a  thoughtless  observer,  who 
was  more  intent  upon  describing  a  singular  phenome 
non  than  upon  considering  its  possible  effect  on  the 
popular  imagination.  He  had  immediately  received 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  25 

an  expostulatory  dispatch  from  headquarters  which 
henceforth  shut  his  mouth — but  he  had  told  the 
simple  truth,  and  how  embarrassing  that  was  became 
evident  when,  on  the  very  table  around  which  the 
savants  were  now  assembled,  three  dispatches  were 
laid  in  quick  succession  from  the  great  observatories 
of  Mount  Hekla,  Iceland,  the  North  Cape,  and 
Kamchatka,  all  corroborating  the  statement  of  the 
Mount  McKinley  observer,  that  an  inexplicable  veil 
ing  of  faint  stars  had  manifested  itself  in  the  boreal 
quarter  of  the  sky. 

When  the  president  read  these  dispatches — which 
the  senders  had  taken  the  precaution  to  mark  "  con 
fidential  "  — the  members  of  the  council  looked  at 
one  another  with  no  little  dismay.  Here  was  the 
most  unprejudiced  corroboration  of  Cosmo  Versal's 
assertion  that  the  great  nebula  was  already  within 
the  range  of  observation.  How  could  they  dispute 
such  testimony,  and  what  were  they  to  make 
of  it? 

Two  or  three  of  the  members  began  to  be  shaken 
in  their  convictions. 

"  Upon  my  word,"  exclaimed  Professor  Alexander 
Jones,  "  but  this  is  very  curious !  And  suppose  the 
fellow  should  be  right,  after  all?  " 

"  Right!  "  cried  the  president,  Professor  Pludder, 
disdainfully.  "  Who  ever  heard  of  a  watery  nebula  ? 
The  thing's  absurd!  " 

"  I  don't  see  that  it's  absurd,"  replied  Professor 


26  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Jones.  '  There's  plenty  of  proof  of  the  existence 
of  hydrogen  in  some  of  the  nebulae." 

"  So  there  is,"  chimed  in  Professor  Abel  Able, 
"  and  if  there's  hydrogen  there  may  be  oxygen,  and 
there  you  have  all  that's  necessary.  It's  not  the 
idea  that  a  nebula  may  consist  of  watery  vapor  that's 
absurd,  but  it  is  that  a  watery  nebula,  large  enough 
to  drown  the  earth  by  condensation  upon  it  could 
have  approached  so  near  as  this  one  must  now  be 
without  sooner  betraying  its  presence." 

"  How  so?  "  demanded  a  voice. 

"  By  its  attraction.  Cosmo  Versal  says  it  is  al 
ready  less  than  three  hundred  million  miles  away.  If 
it  is  massive  enough  to  drown  the  earth,  it  ought  long 
ago  to  have  been  discovered  by  its  disturbance  of  the 
planetary  orbits." 

"  Not  at  all,"  exclaimed  Professor  Jeremiah 
Moses.  "  If  you  stick  to  that  argument  you'll  be 
drowned  sure.  Just  look  at  these  facts.  The  earth 
weighs  six  and  a  half  sextillions  of  tons,  and  the 
ocean  one  and  a  half  quintillions.  The  average 
depth  of  the  oceans  is  two  and  one-fifth  miles.  Now 
— if  the  level  of  the  oceans  were  raised  only  about 
i, 600  feet,  practically  all  the  inhabited  parts  of  the 
world  would  be  flooded.  To  cause  that  increase  in 
the  level  of  the  oceans  only  about  one-eighth  part 
would  have  to  be  added  to  their  total  mass,  or,  say, 
one-seventh  part,  allowing  for  the  greater  surface 
to  be  covered.  That  would  be  one  thirty-thousandth 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  27 

of  the  weight  of  the  globe,  and  if  you  suppose  that 
only  one-hundredth  of  the  entire  nebula  were  con 
densed  on  the  earth,  the  whole  mass  of  the  nebula 
would  not  need  to  exceed  one  three-hundredth  of 
the  weight  of  the  earth,  or  a  quarter  that  of  the 
moon — and  nobody  here  will  be  bold  enough  to  say 
that  the  approach  of  a  mass  no  greater  than  that 
would  be  likely  to  be  discovered  through  its  attraction 
when  it  was  three  hundred  million  miles  away." 

Several  of  the  astronomers  present  shook  their 
heads  at  this,  and  Professor  Pludder  irritably  de 
clared  that  it  was  absurd. 

"  The  attraction  would  be  noticeable  when  it  was 
a  thousand  millions  of  miles  away,"  he  continued. 

"  Yes,  '  noticeable  '  I  admit,"  replied  Professor 
Moses,  "  but  all  the  same  you  wouldn't  notice  it, 
because  you  wouldn't  be  looking  for  it  unless  the 
nebula  were  visible  first,  and  even  then  it  would 
require  months  of  observation  to  detect  the  effects. 
And  how  are  you  going  to  get  around  those  bulletins? 
The  thing  is  beginning  to  be  visible  now,  and  I'll 
bet  that  if,  from  this  time  on,  you  study  carefully 
the  planetary  motions,  you  will  find  evidence  of  the 
disturbance  becoming  stronger  and  stronger.  Versal 
has  pointed  out  that  very  thing,  and  calculated  the 
perturbations.  This  thing  has  come  like  a  thief  in 
the  night." 

'  You'd  better  hurry  up  and  secure  a  place  in  the 
ark,"  said  Professor  Pludder  sarcastically. 


28  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  I  don't  know  but  I  shall,  if  I  can  get  one," 
returned  Professor  Moses.  "  You  may  not  think 
this  is  such  a  laughing  matter  a  few  months  hence." 

"  I'm  surprised,"  pursued  the  president,  "  that  a 
man  of  your  scientific  standing  should  stultify  him 
self  by  taking  seriously  such  balderdash  as  this.  I 
tell  you  the  thing  is  absurd." 

"  And  I  tell  you,  you  are  absurd  to  say  so !  "  re 
torted  Professor  Moses,  losing  his  temper.  "  You've 
got  four  of  the  biggest  telescopes  in  the  world  under 
your  control;  why  don't  you  order  your  observers  to 
look  for  this  thing?  " 

Professor  Pludder,  who  was  a  very  big  man,  reared 
up  his  rotund  form,  and,  bringing  his  fist  down  upon 
the  table  with  a  resounding  whack,  exclaimed: 

"  I'll  do  nothing  so  ridiculous !  These  bulletins 
have  undoubtedly  been  influenced  by  the  popular  ex 
citement.  There  has  possibly  been  a  little  obscurity 
in  the  atmosphere — cirrus  clouds,  or  something — and 
the  observers  have  imagined  the  rest.  I'm  not  going 
to  insult  science  by  encouraging  the  proceedings  of 
a  mountebank  like  Cosmo  Versal.  What  we've  got 
to  do  is  to  prepare  a  dispatch  for  the  press  reassur 
ing  the  populace  and  throwing  the  weight  of  this 
institution  on  the  side  of  common  sense  and  public 
tranquillity.  Let  the  secretary  indite  such  a  dispatch, 
and  then  we'll  edit  it  and  send  it  out." 

Professor  Pludder,  naturally  dictatorial,  was  some 
times  a  little  overbearing,  but  being  a  man  of  great 


MOCKING  AT  FATE  29 

ability,  and  universally  respected  for  his  high  rank 
in  the  scientific  world,  his  colleagues  usually  bowed 
to  his  decisions.  On  this  occasion  his  force  of  char 
acter  sufficed  to  silence  the  doubters,  and  when  the 
statement  intended  for  the  press  had  received  its  final 
touches  it  contained  no  hint  of  the  seeds  of  discord 
that  Cosmo  Versal  had  sown  among  America's  fore 
most  savants.  The  next  morning  it  appeared  in  all 
the  newspapers  as  follows: 

Official  Statement  from   the   Carnegie  Institution 

In  consequence  of  the  popular  excitement  caused  by  the  sensa 
tional  utterance  of  a  notorious  pretender  to  scientific  knowledge  in 
New  York,  the  council  of  this  institution  authorizes  the  statement 
that  it  has  examined  the  alleged  grounds  on  which  the  prediction  of 
a  great  flood,  to  be  caused  by  a  nebula  encountering  the  earth,  is 
based,  and  finds,  as  all  real  men  of  science  knew  beforehand,  that 
the  entire  matter  is  simply  a  canard. 

The  nebulae  are  not  composed  of  water;  if  they  were  composed 
of  water  they  could  not  cause  a  flood  on  the  earth ;  the  report  that 
some  strange,  misty  object  is  visible  in  the  starry  heavens  is  based 
on  a  misapprehension;  and  finally,  the  so-called  calculations  of  the 
author  of  this  inexcusable  hoax  are  baseless  and  totally  devoid 
of  validity. 

The  public  is  earnestly  advised  to  pay  no  further  attention  to  the 
matter.  If  there  were  any  danger  to  the  earth — and  such  a  thing  is 
not  to  be  seriously  considered — astronomers  would  know  it  long  in 
advance,  and  would  give  due  and  official  warning. 

Unfortunately  for  the  popular  effect  of  this  pro 
nouncement,  on  the  very  morning  when  it  appeared 
in  print,  thirty  thousand  people  were  crowded 
around  the  old  aviation  field  at  Mineola,  excitedly 


30  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

watching  Cosmo  Versal,  with  five  hundred  workmen, 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  huge  platform,  while 
about  the  field  were  stretched  sheets  of  canvas  dis 
playing  the  words : 

THE  ARK  OF  SAFETY 

Earnest  Inspection  Invited  by  All 

Attendants   will   Furnish   Gratis   Plans   for  Similar 

Constructions 

Small  Arks  Can  Be  Built  for  Families 
Act  While  There  Is  Yet  Time 

The  multitude  saw  at  a  glance  that  here  was  a 
work  that  would  cost  millions,  and  the  spectacle  of 
this  immense  expenditure,  the  evidence  that  Cosmo 
was  backing  his  words  with  his  money,  furnished  a 
silent  argument  which  was  irresistible.  In  the  midst 
of  all,  flying  about  among  his  men,  was  Cosmo, 
impressing  every  beholder  with  the  feeling  that  in 
tellect  was  in  charge. 

Like  the  gray  coat  of  Napoleon  on  a  battlefield, 
the  sight  of  that  mighty  brow  bred  confidence. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE 

'  I  VHE  utterance  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  indeed 
"*•  fell  flat,  and  Cosmo  Versal's  star  reigned  in 
the  ascendent.  He  pushed  his  preparations  with 
amazing  speed,  and  not  only  politics,  but  even  the 
war  that  had  just  broken  out  in  South  America  was 
swallowed  up  in  the  newspapers  by  endless  descrip 
tions  of  the  mysterious  proceedings  at  Mineola. 
Cosmo  still  found  time  every  day  to  write  articles 
and  to  give  out  interviews;  and  Joseph  Smith  was 
kept  constantly  on  the  jump,  running  for  street-cars 
or  trains,  or  leaping,  with  his  long  coat  flapping, 
into  and  out  of  elevators  on  ceaseless  missions  to  the 
papers,  the  scientific  societies,  and  the  meetings  of 
learned  or  unlearned  bodies  which  had  been  per 
suaded  to  investigate  the  subject  of  the  coming  flood. 
Between  the  work  of  preparation  and  that  of  prose- 
lytism  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  Cosmo  found  time 
to  sleep. 

Day  by  day  the  Ark  of  Safety  rose  higher  upon 
its  great  platform,  its  huge  metallic  ribs  and  broad, 
bulging  sides  glinting  strangely  in  the  unbroken  sun 
shine — for,  as  if  imitating  the  ominous  quiet  before 

31 


32  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

an  earthquake,  the  July  sky  had  stripped  itself  of 
all  clouds.  No  thunder-storms  broke  the  serenity  of 
the  long  days,  and  never  had  the  overarching  heavens 
seemed  so  spotless  and  motionless  in  their  cerulean 
depths. 

All  over  the  world,  as  the  news  dispatches  showed, 
the  same  strange  calm  prevailed.  Cosmo  did  not 
fail  to  call  attention  to  this  unparalleled  repose  of 
nature  as  a  sure  prognostic  of  the  awful  event  in 
preparation. 

The  heat  became  tremendous.  Hundreds  were 
stricken  down  in  the  blazing  streets.  Multitudes 
fled  to  the  seashore,  and  lay  panting  under  umbrellas 
on  the  burning  sands,  or  vainly  sought  relief  by 
plunging  into  the  heated  water,  which,  rolling  lazily 
in  with  the  tide,  felt  as  if  it  had  come  from  over 
a  boiler. 

Still,  perspiring  crowds  constantly  watched  the 
workmen,  who  struggled  with  the  overpowering  heat, 
although  Cosmo  had  erected  canvas  screens  for  them 
and  installed  a  hundred  immense  electric  fans  to 
create  a  breeze. 

Beginning  with  five  hundred  men,  he  had,  in  less 
than  a  month,  increased  his  force  to  nearer  five  thou 
sand,  many  of  whom,  not  engaged  in  the  actual  con 
struction,  were  preparing  the  materials  and  bringing 
them  together.  The  ark  was  being  made  of  pure 
levium,  the  wonderful  new  metal  which,  although 
already  employed  in  the  construction  of  aeroplanes 


THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE     33 

and  the  framework  of  dirigible  balloons,  had  not 
before  been  used  for  shipbuilding,  except  in  the  case 
of  a  few  small  boats,  and  these  used  only  in  the 
navy. 

For  mere  raw  material  Cosmo  must  have  expended 
an  enormous  sum,  and  his  expenses  were  quadrupled 
by  the  fact  that  he  was  compelled,  in  order  to  save 
time,  practically  to  lease  several  of  the  largest  steel 
plants  in  the  country.  Fortunately  levium  was  easily 
rolled  into  plates,  and  the  supply  was  sufficient,  owing 
to  the  discovery  two  years  before  of  an  expeditious 
process  of  producing  the  metal  from  its  ores. 

The  wireless  telegraph  and  telephone  offices  were 
besieged  by  correspondents  eager  to  send  inland,  and 
all  over  Europe  and  Asia,  the  latest  particulars  of 
the  construction  of  the  great  ark.  Nobody  followed 
Cosmo's  advice  or  example,  but  everybody  was  in 
tensely  interested  and  puzzled. 

At  last  the  government  officials  found  themselves 
forced  to  take  cognizance  of  the  affair.  They  could 
no  longer  ignore  it  after  they  discovered  that  it  was 
seriously  interfering  with  the  conduct  of  public  busi 
ness.  Cosmo  Versal's  pressing  orders,  accompanied 
by  cash,  displaced  or  delayed  orders  of  the  govern 
ment  commanding  materials  for  the  navy  and  the 
air  fleet.  In  consequence,  about  the  middle  of  July 
he  received  a  summons  to  visit  the  President  of  the 
United  States.  Cosmo  hurried  to  Washington  on 
the  given  date,  and  presented  his  card  at  the  White 


34  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

House.  Jrle  was  shown  immediately  into  the  Presi 
dent's  reception-room,  where  he  found  the  entire 
Cabinet  in  presence.  As  he  entered  he  was  the  focus 
of  a  formidable  battery  of  curious  and  not  too 
friendly  eyes. 

President  Samson  was  a  large,  heavy  man,  more 
than  six  feet  tall.  Every  member  of  his  Cabinet 
was  above  the  average  in  avoirdupois,  and  the  heavy 
weight  president  of  the  Carnegie  Institution,  Pro 
fessor  Pludder,  who  had  been  specially  invited,  added 
by  his  presence  to  the  air  of  ponderosity  that  char 
acterized  the  assemblage.  All  seemed  magnified  by 
the  thin  white  garments  which  they  wore  on  account 
of  the  oppressive  heat.  Many  of  them  had  come 
in  haste  from  various  summer  resorts,  and  were 
plainly  annoyed  by  the  necessity  of  attending  at  the 
President's  command. 

Cosmo  Versal  was  the  only  cool  man  there,  and 
his  diminutive  form  presented  a  striking  contrast  to 
the  others.  But  he  looked  as  if  he  carried  more 
brains  than  all  of  them  put  together. 

He  was  not  in  the  least  overawed  by  the  hostile 
glances  of  the  statesmen.  On  the  contrary,  his  lips 
perceptibly  curled,  in  a  half-disdainful  smile,  as  he 
took  the  big  hand  which  the  President  extended  to 
him.  As  soon  as  Cosmo  Versal  had  sunk  into  the 
embrace  of  a  large  easy  chair,  the  President  opened 
the  subject. 

"  I   have   directed  you   to   come,"   he   said   in   a 


THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE    35 

majestic  tone,  "  in  order  the  sooner  to  dispel  the 
effects  of  your  unjustifiable  predictions  and  extraor 
dinary  proceedings  on  the  public  mind — and,  I  may 
add,  on  public  affairs.  Are  you  aware  that  you  have 
interfered  with  the  measures  of  this  government  for 
the  defense  of  the  country?  You  have  stepped  in 
front  of  the  government,  and  delayed  the  beginning 
of  four  battleships  which  Congress  has  authorized 
in  urgent  haste  on  account  of  the  threatening  aspect 
of  affairs  in  the  East?  I  need  hardly  say  to  you 
that  we  shall,  if  necessary,  find  means  to  set  aside 
the  private  agreements  under  which  you  are  pro 
ceeding,  as  inimical  to  public  interests,  but  you  have 
already  struck  a  serious  blow  at  the  security  of  your 
country." 

The  President  pronounced  the  last  sentence  with 
oratorical  unction,  and  Cosmo  was  conscious  of  an 
approving  movement  of  big  official  shoulders  around 
him.  The  disdain  deepened  on  his  lips. 

After  a  moment's  pause  the  President  continued: 

"  Before  proceeding  to  extremities  I  have  wished 
to  see  you  personally,  in  order,  in  the  first  place,  to 
assure  myself  that  you  are  mentally  responsible,  and 
then  to  appeal  to  your  patriotism,  which  should  lead 
you  to  withdraw  at  once  an  obstruction  so  dangerous 
to  the  nation.  Do  you  know  the  position  in  which 
you  have  placed  yourself?  " 

Cosmo  Versal  got  upon  his  feet  and  advanced  to 
the  center  of  the  room  like  a  little  David.  Every 


36  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

eye  was  fixed  upon  him.  His  voice  was  steady,  but 
intense  with  suppressed  nervousness. 

"  Mr.  President,"  he  said,  "  you  have  accused 
me  of  obstructing  the  measures  of  the  government 
for  the  defense  of  the  country.  Sir,  I  am  trying  to 
save  the  whole  human  race  from  a  danger  in  com 
parison  with  which  that  of  war  is  infinitesimal — a 
danger  which  is  rushing  down  upon  us  with  appalling 
speed,  and  which  will  strike  every  land  on  the  globe 
simultaneously.  Within  seven  months  not  a  war 
ship  or  any  other  existing  vessel  will  remain  afloat." 

The  listeners  smiled,  and  nodded  significantly  to 
one  another,  but  the  speaker  only  grew  more  earnest. 

"  You  think  I  am  insane,"  he  said,  "  but  the  truth 
is  you  are  hoodwinked  by  official  stupidity.  That 
man,"  pointing  at  Professor  Pludder,  "  who  knows 
me  well,  and  who  has  had  all  my  proofs  laid  before 
him,  is  either  too  thick-headed  to  understand  a  demon 
stration  or  too  pig-headed  to  confess  his  own  error." 

"  Come,  come,"  interrupted  the  President  sternly, 
while  Professor  Pludder  flushed  very  red,  "  this  will 
not  do!  Indulge  in  no  personalities  here.  I  have 
strained  a  point  in  offering  to  listen  to  you  at  all, 
and  I  have  invited  the  head  of  the  greatest  of  our 
scientific  societies  to  be  present,  with  the  hope  that 
here  before  us  all  he  might  convince  you  of  your 
folly,  and  thus  bring  the  whole  unfortunate  affair 
promptly  to  an  end." 

"  He  convince  me!  "  cried  Cosmo  Versal  disdain- 


THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE    37 

fully.  "  He  is  incapable  of  understanding  the  A, 
B,  C  of  my  work.  But  let  me  tell  you  this,  Mr. 
President — there  are  men  in  his  own  council  who 
are  not  so  blind.  I  know  what  occurred  at  the  recent 
meeting  of  that  council,  and  I  know  that  the  ridiculous 
announcement  put  forth  in  its  name  to  deceive  the 
public  was  whipped  into  shape  by  him,  and  does  not 
express  the  real  opinion  of  many  of  the  members." 

Professor  Pludder's  face  grew  redder  than  ever. 

"  Name  one !  "  he  thundered. 

"  Ah,"  said  Cosmo  sneeringly,  "  that  hits  hard, 
doesn't  it?  You  want  me  to  name  one;  well,  I'll 
name  three.  What  did  Professor  Alexander  Jones 
and  Professor  Abel  Able  say  about  the  existence  of 
watery  nebulae,  and  what  was  the  opinion  expressed 
by  Professor  Jeremiah  Moses  about  the  actual  ap 
proach  of  one  out  of  the  northern  sky,  and  what  it 
could  do  if  it  hit  the  earth?  What  was  the  unani 
mous  opinion  of  the  entire  council  about  the  correct 
ness  of  my  mathematical  work?  And  what,"  he 
continued,  approaching  Professor  Pludder  and  shale- 
ing  his  finger  up  at  him — "  what  have  you  done  with 
those  three  dispatches  from  Iceland,  the  North  Cape, 
and  Kamchatka,  which  absolutely  confirmed  my  an 
nouncement  that  the  nebula  was  already  visible?" 

Professor  Pludder  began  stammeringly : 

"  Some  spy ' 

"  Ah,"  cried  Cosmo,  catching  him  up,  "a  spy, 
hey?  Then,  you  admit  it!  Mr.  President,  I  beg 


38  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

you  to  notice  that  he  admits  it.  Sir,  this  is  a  con 
spiracy  to  conceal  the  truth.  Great  Heaven,  the 
world  is  on  the  point  of  being  drowned,  and  yet  the 
pride  of  officialism  is  so  strong  in  this  plodder — 
Pludder — and  others  of  his  ilk  that  they'd  sooner 
take  the  chance  of  letting  the  human  race  be  de 
stroyed  than  recognize  the  truth !  " 

Cosmo  Versal  spoke  with  such  tremendous  con 
centration  of  mental  energy,  and  with  such  evident 
sincerity  of  conviction,  and  he  had  so  plainly  put 
Professor  Pludder  to  rout,  that  the  President,  no 
less  than  the  other  listening  statesmen,  was  thrown 
into  a  quandary. 

There  was  a  creaking  of  heavily  burdened  chairs, 
a  ponderous  stir  all  round  the  circle,  while  a  look  of 
perplexity  became  visible  on  every  face.  Professor 
Pludder's  conduct  helped  to  produce  the  change  of 
moral  atmosphere.  He  had  been  so  completely  sur 
prised  by  Cosmo's  accusation,  based  on  facts  which 
he  had  supposed  were  known  only  to  himself  and 
the  council,  that  he  was  unable  for  a  minute  to  speak 
at  all,  and  before  he  could  align  his  faculties  his 
triumphant  little  opponent  renewed  the  attack. 

"  Mr.  President,"  he  said,  laying  his  hand  on  the 
arm  of  Mr.  Samson's  big  chair,  which  was  nearly 
on  a  level  with  his  breast,  and  speaking  with  per 
suasive  earnestness,  "  you  are  the  executive  head  of 
a  mighty  nation — the  nation  that  sets  the  pace  for 
the  world.  It  is  in  your  power  to  do  a  vast,  an 


THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE     39 

incalculable,  service  to  humanity.  One  official  word 
from  you  would  save  millions  upon  millions  of  lives. 
I  implore  you,  instead  of  interfering  with  my  work, 
to  give  instant  order  for  the  construction  of  as  many 
arks,  based  upon  the  plans  I  have  perfected,  as  the 
navy  yard  can  possibly  turn  out.  Issue  a  proclama 
tion  to  the  people,  warning  them  that  this  is  their 
only  chance  of  escape." 

By  a  curious  operation  of  the  human  mind,  this 
speech  cost  Cosmo  nearly  all  the  advantage  that  he 
had  previously  gained.  His  ominous  suggestion  of 
a  great  nebula  rushing  out  of  the  heavens  to  over 
whelm  the  earth  had  immensely  impressed  the  imagi 
nation  of  his  hearers,  and  his  uncontradicted  accusa 
tion  that  Professor  Pludder  was  concealing  the  facts 
had  almost  convinced  them  that  he  was  right.  But 
when  he  mentioned  "  arks,"  the  strain  was  relieved, 
and  a  smile  broke  out  on  the  broad  face  of  the 
President.  He  shook  his  head,  and  was  about  to 
speak,  when  Cosmo,  perceiving  that  he  had  lost 
ground,  changed  his  tactics. 

"  Still  you  are  incredulous!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  But 
the  proof  is  before  you !  Look  at  the  blazing 
heavens!  The  annals  of  meteorology  do  not  record 
another  such  summer  as  this.  The  vanguard  of  the 
fatal  nebula  is  already  upon  us.  The  signs  of  dis 
aster  are  in  the  sky.  But,  note  what  I  say — this 
is  only  the  first  sign.  There  is  another  following 
on  its  heels  which  may  be  here  at  any  moment.  To 


40  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

heat  will  succeed  cold,  and  as  we  rush  through  the 
tenuous  outer  spirals  the  earth  will  alternately  be 
whipped  with  tempests  of  snow  and  sleet,  and 
scorched  by  fierce  outbursts  of  solar  fire.  For  three 
weeks  the  atmosphere  has  been  heated  by  the  inrush 
of  invisible  vapor — but  look  out,  I  warn  you,  for  the 
change  that  is  impending!  " 

These  extraordinary  words,  pronounced  with  the 
wild  air  of  a  prophet,  completed  the  growing  con 
viction  of  the  listeners  that  they  really  had  a  mad 
man  to  deal  with,  and  Professor  Pludder,  having 
recovered  his  self-command,  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  Mr.  President,"  he  began,  "  the  evidence  which 
we  have  just  seen  of  an  unbalanced  mind — 

He  got  no  further.  A  pall  of  darkness  suddenly 
dropped  upon  the  room.  An  inky  curtain  seemed 
to  have  fallen  from  the  sky.  At  the  same  time 
the  windows  were  shaken  by  tremendous  blasts  of 
wind,  and,  as  the  electric  lights  were  hastily  turned 
on,  huge  snowflakes,  intermingled  with  rattling  hail 
stones,  were  seen  careering  outside.  In  a  few  seconds 
several  large  panes  of  glass  were  broken,  and  the 
chilling  wind,  sweeping  round  the  apartment,  made 
the  teeth  of  the  thinly  clad  statesmen  chatter,  while 
the  noise  of  the  storm  became  deafening.  The  sky 
lightened,  but  at  the  same  moment  dreadful  thunder 
peals  shook  the  building.  Two  or  three  trees  in  the 
White  House  grounds  were  struck  by  the  bolts,  and 
their  broken  branches  were  driven  through  the  air 


THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE     41 

and  carried  high  above  the  ground  by  the  whirling 
winds,  and  one  of  them  was  thrown  against  the 
building  with  such  force  that  for  a  moment  it  seemed 
as  if  the  wall  had  been  shattered. 

After  the  first  stunning  effect  of  this  outbreak 
of  the  elements  had  passed,  everybody  rushed  to  the 
windows  to  look  out — everybody  except  Cosmo 
Versal,  who  remained  standing  in  the  center  of  the 
room. 

"  I  told  you !  "  he  said;  but  nobody  listened  to  him. 
What  they  saw  outside  absorbed  every  faculty.  The 
noise  was  so  stunning  that  they  could  not  have  heard 
him. 

We  have  said  that  the  air  lightened  after  the  pas 
sage  of  the  first  pall  of  darkness,  but  it  was  not  the 
reappearance  of  the  sun  that  caused  the  brightening. 
It  was  an  awful  light,  which  seemed  to  be  born 
out  of  the  air  itself.  It  had  a  menacing,  coppery 
hue,  continually  changing  in  character.  The  whole 
upper  atmosphere  was  choked  with  dense  clouds, 
which  swirled  and  tumbled,  and  twisted  themselves 
into  great  vortical  rolls,  spinning  like  gigantic  mill- 
shafts.  Once,  one  of  these  vortexes  shot  downward, 
with  projectile  speed,  rapidly  assuming  the  terrible 
form  of  the  trombe  of  a  tornado,  and  where  it  struck 
the  ground  it  tore  everything  to  pieces — trees,  houses, 
the  very  earth  itself  were  ground  to  powder  and  then 
whirled  aloft  by  the  resistless  suction. 

Occasionally  the  darkness  returned  for  a  few  min- 


42  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

utes,  as  if  a  cover  had  been  clapped  upon  the  sky, 
and  then,  again,  the  murk  would  roll  off,  and  the 
reddish  gleam  would  reappear.  These  swift  alterna 
tions  of  impenetrable  gloom  and  unearthly  light 
shook  the  hearts  of  the  dumfounded  statesmen  even 
more  than  the  roar  and  rush  of  the  storm. 

A  cry  of  horror  broke  from  the  onlookers  when 
a  man  and  a  woman  suddenly  appeared  trying  to 
cross  the  White  House  grounds  to  reach  a  place  of 
comparative  safety,  and  were  caught  up  by  the  wind, 
clinging  desperately  to  each  other,  and  hurled  against 
a  wall,  at  whose  base  they  fell  in  a  heap. 

Then  came  another  outburst  of  lightning,  and  a 
vicious  bolt  descended  upon  the  Washington  Monu 
ment,  and,  twisting  round  it,  seemed  to  envelop  the 
great  shaft  in  a  pulsating  corkscrew  of  blinding  fire. 
The  report  that  instantly  followed  made  the  White 
House  dance  upon  its  foundations,  and,  as  if  that 
had  been  a  signal,  the  flood-gates  of  the  sky  imme 
diately  opened,  and  rain  so  dense  that  it  looked  like 
a  solid  cataract  of  water  poured  down  upon  the  earth. 
The  raging  water  burst  into  the  basement  of  the 
building,  and  ran  off  in  a  shoreless  river  toward  the 
Potomac. 

The  streaming  rain,  still  driven  by  the  wind,  poured 
through  the  broken  windows,  driving  the  President 
and  the  others  to  the  middle  of  the  room,  where 
they  soon  stood  in  rills  of  water  soaking  the  thick 
carpet. 


THE  FIRST  DROPS  OF  THE  DELUGE    43 

They  were  all  as  pale  as  death.  Their  eyes  sought 
one  another's  faces  in  dumb  amazement.  Cosmo 
Versal  alone  retained  perfect  self-command.  In 
spite  of  his  slight  stature  he  looked  their  master. 
Raising  his  voice  to  the  highest  pitch,  in  order  to 
be  heard,  he  shouted: 

"  These  are  the  first  drops  of  the  Deluge!  Will 
you  believe  now?  " 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR 

/~T~SHE  tempest  of  hail,  snow,  lightning,  and  rain, 
•*•  which  burst  so  unexpectedly  over  Washington, 
was  not  a  local  phenomenon.  It  leveled  the  antennae 
of  the  wireless  telegraph  systems  all  over  the  world, 
cutting  off  communication  everywhere.  Only  the 
submarine  telephone  cables  remained  unaffected,  and 
by  them  was  transmitted  the  most  astonishing  news 
of  the  ravages  of  the  storm.  Rivers  had  careered 
over  their  banks,  low-lying  towns  were  flooded,  the 
swollen  sewers  of  cities  exploded  and  inundated  the 
streets,  and  gradually  news  came  in  from  country 
districts  showing  that  vast  areas  of  land  had  been 
submerged,  and  hundreds  drowned. 

The  downfall  of  rain  far  exceeded  everything  that 
the  meteorological  bureaus  had  ever  recorded. 

The  vagaries  of  the  lightning,  and  the  frightful 
power  that  it  exhibited,  were  especially  terrifying. 

In  London  the  Victoria  Tower  was  partly  dis 
mantled  by  a  bolt. 

In  Moscow  the  ancient  and  beautiful  Church  of 
St.  Basil  was  nearly  destroyed. 

44 


THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR     45 

The  celebrated  Leaning  Tower  of  Pisa,  the  won 
der  of  centuries,  was  flung  to  the  ground. 

The  vast  dome  of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome  was  said 
to  have  been  encased  during  three  whole  minutes 
with  a  blinding  armor  of  electric  fire,  though  the  only 
harm  done  was  the  throwing  down  of  a  statue  in 
one  of  the  chapels. 

But,  strangest  freak  of  all,  in  New  York  a  tre 
mendous  bolt,  which  seems  to  have  entered  the  Penn 
sylvania  tunnel  on  the  Jersey  side,  followed  the  rails 
under  the  river,  throwing  two  trains  from  the  track, 
and,  emerging  in  the  great  station  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  expanded  into  a  rose-colored  sphere,  which  ex 
ploded  with  an  awful  report,  and  blew  the  great 
roof  to  pieces.  And  yet,  although  the  fragments 
were  scattered  a  dozen  blocks  away,  hundreds  of 
persons  who  were  in  the  stations  suffered  no  other 
injury  than  such  as  resulted  from  being  flung  violently 
to  the  floor,  or  against  the  walls. 

Cosmo  VersaTs  great  ark  seemed  charmed.  Not 
a  single  discharge  of  lightning  occurred  in  its  vicin 
ity,  a  fact  which  he  attributed  to  the  dielectric 
properties  of  levium.  Nevertheless,  the  wind  car 
ried  away  all  his  screens  and  electric  fans. 

If  this  storm  had  continued  the  predicted  deluge 
would  unquestionably  have  occurred  at  once,  and  even 
its  prophet  would  have  perished  through  having  be 
gun  his  preparations  too  late.  But  the  disturbed 
elements  sank  into  repose  as  suddenly  as  they  had 


46  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

broken  out  with  fury.  The  rain  did  not  last,  in 
most  places,  more  than  twenty-four  hours,  although 
the  atmosphere  continued  to  be  filled  with  troubled 
clouds  for  a  week.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the 
sun  reappeared,  as  hot  as  before,  and  a  spotless  dome 
once  more  over-arched  the  earth;  but  from  this  time 
the  sky  never  resumed  its  former  brilliant  azure- 
there  was  always  a  strange  coppery  tinge,  the  sight 
of  which  was  appalling,  although  it  gradually  lost 
its  first  effect  through  familiarity. 

The  indifference  and  derision  with  which  Cosmo's 
predictions  and  elaborate  preparations  had  hitherto 
been  regarded  now  vanished,  and  the  world,  in  spite 
of  itself,  shivered  with  vague  apprehension.  No 
reassurances  from  those  savants  who  still  refused  to 
admit  the  validity  of  Cosmo  Versal's  calculations 
and  deductions  had  any  permanent  effect  upon  the 
public  mind. 

With  amusing  inconsequence  people  sold  stocks 
again,  until  all  the  exchanges  were  once  more  swept 
with  panic — and  then  put  the  money  in  their  strong 
boxes,  as  if  they  thought  that  the  mere  possession 
of  the  lucre  could  protect  them.  They  hugged  the 
money  and  remained  deaf  to  Cosmo's  reiterated  ad 
vice  to  build  arks  with  it. 

After  all,  they  were  only  terrified,  not  convinced, 
and  they  felt  that,  somehow,  everything  would  come 
out  right,  now  that  they  had  their  possessions  well 
in  hand. 


THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR     47 

For,  in  spite  of  the  scare,  nobody  really  believed 
that  an  actual  deluge  was  coming.  There  might 
be  great  floods,  and  great  suffering  and  loss,  but  the 
world  was  not  going  to  be  drowned!  Such  things 
only  occurred  in  early  and  dark  ages. 

Some  nervous  persons  found  comfort  in  the  fact 
that  when  the  skies  cleared  after  the  sudden  down 
pour  brilliant  rainbows  were  seen.  Their  hearts 
bounded  with  joy. 

"The  'Bow  of  Promise!'"  they  cried.  "Be 
hold  the  unvarying  assurance  that  the  world  shall 
never  again  be  drowned." 

Then  a  great  revival  movement  was  set  on  foot, 
starting  in  the  Mississippi  valley  under  the  leadership 
of  an  eloquent  exhorter,  who  declared  that,  although 
a  false  prophet  had  arisen,  whose  delusive  predic 
tion  was  contrary  to  Scripture,  yet  it  was  true  that 
the  world  was  about  to  be  punished  in  unexpected 
ways  for  its  many  iniquities. 

This  movement  rapidly  spread  all  over  the  coun 
try,  and  was  taken  up  in  England  and  throughout 
Protestant  Europe,  and  soon  prayers  were  offered  in 
thousands  of  churches  to  avert  the  wrath  of  Heaven. 
Multitudes  thus  found  their  fears  turned  into  a  new 
direction,  and  by  a  strange  reaction,  Cosmo  Versal 
came  to  be  regarded  as  a  kind  of  Antichrist  who  was 
seeking  to  mislead  mankind. 

Just  at  this  juncture,  to  add  to  the  dismay  and 
uncertainty,  a  grand  and  fearful  comet  suddenly 


48  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

appeared.  It  came  up  unexpectedly  from  the  south, 
blazed  brightly  close  beside  the  sun,  even  at  noon 
day,  and  a  few  nights  later  was  visible  after  sunset 
with  an  immense  fiery  head  and  a  broad  curved  tail 
that  seemed  to  pulsate  from  end  to  end.  It  was  so 
bright  that  it  cast  shadows  at  night,  as  distinct  as 
those  made  by  the  moon.  No  such  cometary  monster 
had  ever  before  been  seen.  People  shuddered  when 
they  looked  at  it.  It  moved  with  amazing  speed, 
sweeping  across  the  firmament  like  a  besom  of  de 
struction.  Calculation  showed  that  it  was  not  more 
than  3,000,000  miles  from  the  earth. 

But  one  night  the  wonder  and  dread  awakened 
by  the  comet  were  magnified  a  hundredfold  by  an 
occurrence  so  unexpected  and  extraordinary  that  the 
spectators  gasped  in  amazement. 

The  writer  happens  to  have  before  him  an  entry 
in  a  diary,  which  is,  probably,  the  sole  contemporary 
record  of  this  event.  It  was  written  in  the  city  of 
Washington  by  no  less  a  person  than  Professor  Jere 
miah  Moses,  of  the  Council  of  the  Carnegie  Institu 
tion.  Let  it  tell  its  own  story: 

"  A  marvelous  thing  happened  this  night.  I  walked  out  into  the 
park  near  my  house  with  the  intention  of  viewing  the  great  comet. 
The  park  on  my  side  (the  west),  is  bordered  with  a  dense  screen  of 
tall  trees,  and  I  advanced  toward  the  open  place  in  the  center  in 
order  to  have  an  unobstructed  sight  of  the  flaming  stranger.  As  I 
passed  across  the  edge  of  the  shadow  of  the  trees — the  ground  ahead 
being  brilliantly  illuminated  by  the  light  of  the  comet — I  suddenly 
noticed,  with  an  involuntary  start,  that  I  was  being  preceded  by  a 


THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR     49 

double  shadow,  with  a  black  center,  which  forked  away  from  my  feet. 
"  I  cast  my  eyes  behind  me  to  find  the  cause  of  the  phenomenon, 
and  saw,  to  my  inexpressible  amazement,  that  the  comet  had  divided 
into  two.  There  were  two  distinct  heads,  already  widely  separated, 
but  each,  it  seemed  to  me,  as  brilliant  as  the  original  one  had  been, 
and  each  supplied  with  a  vast  plume  of  fire  a  hundred  degrees  in 
length,  and  consequently  stretching  far  past  the  zenith.  The  cause 
of  the  double  shadow  was  evident  at  once — but  what  can  have 
produced  this  sudden  disruption  of  the  comet?  It  must  have  oc 
curred  since  last  evening,  and  already,  if  the  calculated  distance  of 
the  comet  is  correct,  the  parts  of  the  severed  head  are  30x3,000  miles 
asunder! " 

Underneath  this  entry  was  scribbled: 

"  Can  this  have  anything  to  do  with  Cosmo  Versal's 
flood?" 

Whether  it  had  anything  to  do  with  the  flood  or 
not,  at  any  rate  the  public  believed  that  it  had. 
People  went  about  with  fear  written  on  their 
faces. 

The  double  shadows  had  a  surprising  effect.  The 
phantasm  was  pointed  out,  and  stared  at  with  super 
stitious  terror  by  thousands  every  night.  The  fact 
that  there  was  nothing  really  mysterious  about  it 
made  no  difference.  Even  those  who  knew  well  that 
it  was  an  inevitable  optical  result  of  the  division  of 
the  bright  comet  were  thrilled  with  instinctive  dread 
when  they  saw  that  forked  umbra,  mimicking  their 
every  movement.  There  is  nothing  that  so  upsets 
the  mind  as  a  sudden  change  in  the  aspect  of  familiar 
things. 

The  astronomers  now  took  their  turn.     Those  who 


50  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

were  absolutely  incredulous  about  Cosmo's  predic 
tion,  and  genuinely  desirous  of  allaying  the  popular 
alarm,  issued  statements  in  which,  with  a  disingenu- 
ousness  that  may  have  been  unintentional,  they  tried 
to  sidetrack  his  arguments. 

Professor  Pludder  led  the  way  with  a  pronuncia- 
mento  declaring  that  "  the  absurd  vaporings  of  the 
modern  Nostradamus  of  New  York  "  had  now  de 
monstrated  their  own  emptiness. 

"  A  comet,"  said  Professor  Pludder,  with  reassur 
ing  seriousness,  "  cannot  drown  the  earth.  It  is  com 
posed  of  rare  gases,  which,  as  the  experience  of 
Halley's  comet  many  years  ago  showed,  are  unable 
to  penetrate  the  atmosphere  even  when  an  actual 
encounter  occurs.  In  this  case  there  cannot  even  be 
an  encounter;  the  comet  is  now  moving  away.  Its 
division  is  not  an  unprecedented  occurrence,  for  many 
previous  comets  have  met  with  similar  accidents. 
This  comet  happened  to  be  of  unusual  size,  and  the 
partition  of  the  head  occurred  when  it  was  relatively 
nearby — whence  the  startling  phenomena  observed. 
There  is  nothing  to  be  feared." 

It  will  be  remarked  that  Professor  Pludder  entirely 
avoided  the  real  issue.  Cosmo  Versal  had  never  said 
that  the  comet  would  drown  the  earth.  In  fact,  he 
had  been  as  much  surprised  by  its  appearance  as 
everybody  else.  But  when  he  read  Professor  Plud- 
der's  statement,  followed  by  others  of  similar  im 
port,  he  took  up  the  cudgels  with  a  vengeance.  All 


THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR     51 

over  the  world,  translated  into  a  dozen  languages, 
he  scattered  his  reply,  and  the  effect  was  startling. 

"  My  fellow-citizens  of  the  world  in  all  lands,  and 
of  every  race,"  he  began,  "  you  are  face  to  face  with 
destruction !  And  yet,  while  its  heralds  are  plainly 
signaling  from  the  sky,  and  shaking  the  earth  with 
lightning  to  awaken  it,  blind  leaders  of  blind  try  to 
deceive  you ! 

u  They  are  defying  science  itself! 

"  They  say  that  the  comet  cannot  touch  the  earth. 
That  is  true.  It  is  passing  away.  I  myself  did  not 
foresee  its  coming.  It  arrived  by  accident,  but  every 
step  that  it  has  made  through  the  silent  depths  of 
space  has  been  a  proclamation  of  the  presence  of  the 
nebula,  which  is  the  real  agent  of  the  perdition  of  the 
world ! 

"  Why  that  ominous  redness  which  overcasts  the 
heavens?  You  have  all  noticed  it.  Why  that  blind 
ing  brightness  which  the  comet  has  displayed,  exceed 
ing  all  that  has  ever  been  beheld  in  such  visitors. 
The  explanation  is  plain :  the  comet  has  been  feeding 
on  the  substance  of  the  nebula,  which  is  rare  yet 
because  we  have  only  encountered  some  of  its  out 
lying  spirals. 

"  But  it  is  coming  on  with  terrible  speed.  In  a 
few  short  months  we  shall  be  plunged  into  its  awful 
center,  and  then  the  oceans  will  swell  to  the  mountain- 
tops,  and  the  continents  will  become  the  bottoms  of 
angry  seas. 


52  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  When  the  flood  begins  it  will  be  too  late  to  save 
yourselves.  You  have  already  lost  too  much  precious 
time.  I  tell  you  solemnly  that  not  one  in  a  million 
can  now  be  saved.  Throw  away  every  other  con 
sideration,  and  try,  try  desperately,  to  be  of  the  little 
company  of  those  who  escape ! 

"  Remember  that  your  only  chance  is  in  building 
arks — arks  of  levium,  the  metal  that  floats.  I  have 
sent  broadcast  plans  for  such  arks.  They  can  be 
made  of  any  size,  but  the  larger  the  better.  In  my 
own  ark  I  can  take  only  a  selected  number,  and  when 
the  complement  is  made  up  not  another  soul  will  be 
admitted. 

"  I  have  established  all  my  facts  by  mathematical 
proofs.  The  most  expert  mathematicians  of  the 
world  have  been  unable  to  detect  any  error  in  my 
calculations.  They  try  to  dispute  the  data,  but  the 
data  are  already  before  you  for  your  own  judgment. 
The  heavens  are  so  obscured  that  only  the  brightest 
stars  can  now  be  seen."  (This  was  a  fact  which  had 
caused  bewilderment  in  the  observatories.)  "The 
recent  outburst  of  storms  and  floods  was  the 
second  sign  of  the  approaching  end,  and  the  third 
sign  will  not  be  long  delayed — and  after  that  the 
deluge!  " 

It  is  futile  to  try  to  describe  the  haunting  fear  and 
horror  which  seized  upon  the  majority  of  the  millions 
who  read  these  words.  Business  was  paralyzed,  for 
men  found  it  impossible  to  concentrate  their  minds 


THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR     53 

upon  ordinary  affairs.  Every  night  the  twin  comets, 
still  very  bright,  although  they  were  fast  retreating, 
brandished  their  fiery  scimitars  in  the  sky — more 
fearful  to  the  imagination  now,  since  Cosmo  Versal 
had  declared  that  it  was  the  nebula  that  stimulated 
their  energies.  And  by  day  the  sky  was  watched  with 
anxious  eyes  striving  to  detect  signs  of  a  deepening 
of  the  menacing  hue,  which,  to  an  excited  fancy,  sug 
gested  a  tinge  of  blood. 

Now,  at  last,  Cosmo's  warnings  and  entreaties 
bore  practical  fruit.  Men  began  to  inquire  about 
places  in  his  ark,  and  to  make  preparations  for  build 
ing  arks  of  their  own. 

He  had  not  been  interfered  with  after  his  memor 
able  interview  with  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  had  pushed  his  work  at  Mineola  with  redoubled 
energy,  employing  night  gangs  of  workmen  so  that 
progress  was  continuous  throughout  the  twenty-four 
hours. 

Standing  on  its  platform,  the  ark,  whose  hull  was 
approaching  completion,  rose  a  hundred  feet  into 
the  air.  It  was  800  feet  long  and  250  broad — 
proportions  which  practical  ship-builders  ridiculed, 
but  Cosmo,  as  original  in  this  as  in  everything  else, 
declared  that,  taking  into  account  the  buoyancy  of 
levium,  no  other  form  would  answer  as  well.  He 
estimated  that  when  its  great  engines  were  in  place, 
its  immense  stores  of  material  for  producing  power, 
its  ballast,  and  its  supplies  of  food  stowed  away,  and 


54  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

its  cargo  of  men  and  animals  taken  aboard,  it  would 
not  draw  more  than  twenty  feet  of  water. 

Hardly  a  day  passed  now  without  somebody  com 
ing  to  Cosmo  to  inquire  about  the  best  method  of 
constructing  arks.  He  gave  the  required  informa 
tion,  in  all  possible  detail,  with  the  utmost  willing 
ness.  He  drew  plans  and  sketches,  made  all  kinds 
of  practical  suggestions,  and  never  failed  to  urge  the 
utmost  haste.  He  inspired  every  visitor  at  the  same 
time  with  alarm  and  a  resolution  to  go  to  work  at 
once. 

Some  did  go  to  work.  But  their  progress  was 
slow,  and  as  days  passed,  and  the  comets  gradually 
faded  out  of  sight,  and  then  the  dome  of  the  sky 
showed  a  tendency  to  resume  its  natural  blueness,  the 
enthusiasm  of  Cosmo's  imitators  weakened,  together 
with  their  confidence  in  his  prophetic  powers. 

They  concluded  to  postpone  their  operations  until 
the  need  of  arks  should  become  more  evident 

As  to  those  who  had  sent  inquiries  about  places 
in  Cosmo's  ark,  now  that  the  danger  seemed  to  be 
blowing  away,  they  did  not  even  take  the  trouble 
to  answer  the  very  kind  responses  that  he  had 
made. 

It  is  a  singular  circumstance  that  not  one  of  these 
anxious  inquirers  seemed  to  have  paid  particular  at 
tention  to  a  very  significant  sentence  in  his  reply. 
If  they  had  given  it  a  little  thought,  it  would  probably 
have  set  them  pondering,  although  they  might  have 


THE  WORLD  SWEPT  WITH  TERROR     55 

been  more  puzzled  than  edified.  The  sentence  ran 
as  follows : 

'  While  assuring  you  that  my  ark  has  been  built 
for  the  benefit  of  my  fellow  men,  I  am  bound  to  tell 
you  that  I  reserve  absolutely  the  right  to  determine 
who  are  truly  representative  of  homo  sapiens." 

The  fact  was  that  Cosmo  had  been  turning  over 
in  his  mind  the  great  fundamental  question  which  he 
had  asked  himself  when  the  idea  of  trying  to  save 
the  human  race  from  annihilation  had  first  occurred 
to  him,  and  apparently  he  had  fixed  upon  certain 
principles  that  were  to  guide  him. 

Since,  when  the  mind  is  under  great  strain  through 
fear,  the  slightest  relaxation,  caused  by  an  apparently 
favorable  change,  produces  a  rebound  of  hope,  as 
unreasoning  as  the  preceding  terror,  so,  on  this  occa 
sion,  the  vanishing  of  the  comets,  and  the  fading  of 
the  disquieting  color  of  the  sky,  had  a  wonderful 
effect  in  restoring  public  confidence  in  the  orderly 
procession  of  nature. 

Cosmo  VersaTs  vogue  as  a  prophet  of  disaster  was 
soon  gone,  and  once  more  everybody  began  to  laugh 
at  him.  People  turned  again  to  their  neglected 
affairs  with  the  general  remark  that  they  "  guessed 
the  world  would  manage  to  wade  through." 

Those  who  had  begun  preparations  to  build  arks 
looked  very  sheepish  when  their  friends  guyed  them 
about  their  childish  credulity. 

Then  a  feeling  of  angry  resentment  arose,  and  one 


56  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

day  Cosmo  Versal  was  mobbed  in  the  street,  and  the 
gamins  threw  stones  at  him. 

People  forgot  the  extraordinary  storm  of  lightning 
and  rain,  the  split  comet,  and  all  the  other  circum 
stances  which,  a  little  time  before,  had  filled  them 
with  terror. 

But  they  were  making  a  fearful  mistake ! 

With  eyes  blindfolded  they  were  walking  straight 
into  the  jaws  of  destruction. 

Without  warning,  and  as  suddenly  almost  as  an 
explosion,  the  third  sign  appeared,  and  on  its  heels 
came  a  veritable  Reign  of  Terror ! 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  THIRD   SIGN 

T  N  the  middle  of  the  night,  at  New  York,  hundreds 
•*•  of  thousands  simultaneously  awoke  with  a  feel 
ing  of  suffocation. 

They  struggled  for  breath  as  if  they  had  suddenly 
been  plunged  into  a  steam  bath. 

The  air  was  hot,  heavy,  and  terribly  oppressive. 

The  throwing  open  of  windows  brought  no  relief. 
The  outer  air  was  as  stifling  as  that  within. 

It  was  so  dark  that,  on  looking  out,  one  could 
not  see  his  own  doorsteps.  The  arc-lamps  in  the 
street  flickered  with  an  ineffective  blue  gleam  which 
shed  no  illumination  round  about. 

House  lights,  when  turned  on,  looked  like  tiny 
candles  inclosed  in  thick  blue  globes. 

Frightened  men  and  women  stumbled  around  in 
the  gloom  of  their  chambers  trying  to  dress  them 
selves. 

Cries  and  exclamations  rang  from  room  to  room; 
children  wailed;  hysterical  mothers  ran  wildly  hither 
and  thither,  seeking  their  little  ones.  Many  fainted, 
partly  through  terror  and  partly  from  the  difficulty  of 
breathing.  Sick  persons,  seized  with  a  terrible  op- 

57 


58  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

pression  of  the  chest,  gasped,  and  never  rose    from 
their  beds. 

At  every  window,  and  in  every  doorway,  through 
out  the  vast  city,  invisible  heads  and  forms  were 
crowded,  making  their  presence  known  by  their  voices 
— distracted  householders  striving  to  peer  through 
the  strange  darkness,  and  to  find  out  the  cause  of 
these  terrifying  phenomena. 

Some  managed  to  get  a  faint  glimpse  of  their 
watches  by  holding  them  close  against  lamps,  and 
thus  noted  the  time.  It  was  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

Neighbors,  unseen,  called  to  one  another,  but  got 
little  comfort  from  the  replies. 

"What  is  it?  In  God's  name,  what  has  hap 
pened?" 

"  I  don't  know.    I  can  hardly  breathe." 

"  It  is  awful !    We  shall  all  be  suffocated." 

"Is  it  afire?" 

"No!     No!     It  cannot  be  a  fire." 
'  The  air  is  full  of  steam.     The  stones  and  the 
window-panes  are  streaming  with  moisture." 

"  Great  Heavens,  how  stifling  it  is!  " 

Then,  into  thousands  of  minds  at  once  leaped  the 
thought  of  the  flood! 

The  memory  of  Cosmo  Versal's  reiterated  warn 
ings  came  back  with  overwhelming  force.  It  must 
be  the  third  sign  that  he  had  foretold.  It  had  really 
come! 


THE  THIRD  SIGN  59 

Those  fateful  words — "  the  flood  "  and  "  Cosmo 
Versal  " — ran  from  lip  to  lip,  and  the  hearts  of  those 
who  spoke,  and  those  who  heard,  sank  like  lead  in 
their  bosoms. 

He  would  be  a  bold  man,  more  confident  in  his 
powers  of  description  than  the  present  writer,  who 
should  attempt  to  picture  the  scenes  in  New  York 
on  that  fearful  night. 

The  gasping  and  terror-stricken  millions  waited 
and  longed  for  the  hour  of  sunrise,  hoping  that  then 
the  stygian  darkness  would  be  dissipated,  so  that 
people  might,  at  least,  see  where  to  go  and  what  to 
do.  Many,  oppressed  by  the  almost  unbreathable 
air,  gave  up  in  despair,  and  no  longer  even  hoped  for 
morning  to  come. 

In  the  midst  of  it  all  a  collision  occurred  directly 
over  Central  Park  between  two  aero-expresses,  one 
coming  from  Boston  and  the  other  from  Albany. 
(The  use  of  small  aeroplanes  within  the  city  limits 
had,  for  some  time,  been  prohibited  on  account  of 
the  constant  danger  of  collisions,  but  the  long-distance 
lines  were  permitted  to  enter  the  metropolitan  dis 
trict,  making  their  landings  and  departures  on  spe 
cially  constructed  towers.)  These  two,  crowded  with 
passengers,  had,  as  it  afterward  appeared,  completely 
lost  their  bearings — the  strongest  electric  lights  being 
invisible  a  few  hundred  feet  away,  while  the  wireless 
signals  were  confusing — and,  before  the  danger  was 
apprehended,  they  crashed  together. 


6o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

The  collision  occurred  at  a  height  of  a  thousand 
feet,  on  the  Fifth  Avenue  side  of  the  park.  Both 
of  the  airships  had  their  aeroplanes  smashed  and 
their  decks  crumpled  up,  and  the  unfortunate  crews 
and  passengers  were  hurled  through  the  impenetrable 
darkness  to  the  ground. 

Only  four  or  five,  who  were  lucky  enough  to  be 
entangled  with  the  lighter  parts  of  the  wreckage, 
escaped  with  their  lives.  But  they  were  too  much 
injured  to  get  upon  their  feet,  and  there  they  lay,  their 
sufferings  made  tenfold  worse  by  the  stifling  air,  and 
the  horror  of  their  inexplicable  situation,  until  they 
were  found  and  humanely  relieved,  more  than  ten 
hours  after  their  fall. 

The  noise  of  the  collision  had  been  heard  in  Fifth 
Avenue,  and  its  meaning  was  understood;  but  amid 
the  universal  terror  no  one  thought  of  trying  to  aid 
the  victims.  Everybody  was  absorbed  in  wondering 
what  would  become  of  himself. 

When  the  long  attended  hour  of  sunrise  ap 
proached,  the  watchers  were  appalled  by  the  ab 
sence  of  even  the  slightest  indication  of  the  reappear 
ance  of  the  orb  of  day.  There  was  no  lightening  of 
the  dense  cloak  of  darkness,  and  the  great  city  seemed 
dead. 

For  the  first  time  in  its  history  it  failed  to  awake 
after  its  regular  period  of  repose,  and  to  send  forth 
its  myriad  voices.  It  could  not  be  seen ;  it  could  not 
be  heard;  it  made  no  sign.  As  far  as  any  outward 


THE  THIRD  SIGN  61 

indication  of  its  existence  was  concerned  the  mighty 
capital  had  ceased  to  be. 

It  was  this  frightful  silence  of  the  streets,  and  of 
all  the  outer  world,  that  terrified  the  people,  cooped 
up  in  their  houses,  and  their  rooms,  by  the  walls  of 
darkness,  more  than  almost  any  other  circumstance; 
it  gave  such  an  overwhelming  sense  of  the  universality 
of  the  disaster,  whatever  that  disaster  might  be.  Ex 
cept  where  the  voices  of  neighbors  could  be  heard, 
one  could  not  be  sure  that  the  whole  population,  out 
side  his  own  family,  had  not  perished. 

As  the  hours  passed,  and  yet  no  light  appeared, 
another  intimidating  circumstance  manifested  itself. 
From  the  start  everybody  had  noticed  the  excessive 
humidity  of  the  dense  air.  Every  solid  object  that 
the  hands  came  in  contact  with  in  the  darkness  was 
wet,  as  if  a  thick  fog  had  condensed  upon  it.  This 
supersaturation  of  the  air  (a  principal  cause  of  the 
difficulty  experienced  in  breathing)  led  to  a  result 
which  would  quickly  have  been  foreseen  if  people 
could  have  had  the  use  of  their  eyes,  but  which, 
coming  on  invisibly,  produced  a  panic  fear  when  at 
last  its  presence  was  strikingly  forced  upon  the  at 
tention. 

The  moisture  collected  on  all  exposed  surfaces — 
on  the  roofs,  the  walls,  the  pavements — until  its 
quantity  became  sufficient  to  form  little  rills,  which 
sought  the  gutters,  and  there  gathered  force  and  volj 
ume.  Presently  the  streams  became  large  enough  to 


62  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

create  a  noise  of  flowing  water  that  attracted  the  at 
tention  of  the  anxious  watchers  at  the  open  windows. 
Then  cries  of  dismay  arose.  If  the  water  had  been 
visible  it  would  not  have  been  terrible. 

But,  to  the  overstrained  imagination,  the  bubbling 
and  splashing  sound  that  came  out  of  the  darkness 
was  magnified  into  the  rush  of  a  torrent.  It  seemed 
to  grow  louder  every  moment.  What  was  but  a  mur 
mur  on  the  ear-drum  became  a  roar  in  the  excited 
brain-cells. 

Once  more  were  heard  the  ominous  words,  "  The 
flood!" 

They  spread  from  room  to  room,  and  from  house 
to  house.  The  wild  scenes  that  had  attended  the  first 
awakening  were  tame  in  comparison  with  what  now 
occurred.  Self-control,  reason — everything — gave 
way  to  panic. 

If  they  could  only  have  seen  what  they  were 
about  1 

But  then  they  would  not  have  been  about  it.  Then 
their  reason  would  not  have  been  dethroned. 

Darkness  is  the  microscope  of  the  imagination,  and 
it  magnifies  a  million  times ! 

Some  timorously  descended  their  doorsteps,  and 
feeling  a  current  of  water  in  the  gutter,  recoiled  with 
cries  of  horror,  as  if  they  had  slipped  down  the  bank 
of  a  flooded  river.  As  they  retreated  they  believed 
that  the  water  was  rising  at  their  heels ! 

Others  made  their  way  to  the  roofs,  persuaded  that 


THE  THIRD  SIGN  63 

the  flood  was  already  inundating  the  basements  and 
the  lower  stories  of  their  dwellings. 

Women  wrung  their  hands  and  wept,  and  children 
cried,  and  men  pushed  and  stumbled  about,  and 
shouted,  and  would  have  done  something  if  only  they 
could  have  seen  what  to  do.  That  was  the  pity  of  it! 
It  was  as  if  the  world  had  been  stricken  blind,  and 
then  the  trump  of  an  archangel  had  sounded,  crying: 

"  Fly!     Fly!  for  the  Avenger  is  on  your  heels!  " 

How  could  they  fly? 

This  awful  strain  could  not  have  lasted.  It  would 
have  needed  no  deluge  to  finish  New  York  if  that 
maddening  pall  of  darkness  had  remained  unbroken 
a  few  hours  longer.  But,  just  when  thousands  had 
given  up  in  despair,  there  came  a  rapid  change. 

At  the  hour  of  noon  light  suddenly  broke  over 
head.  Beginning  in  a  round  patch  inclosed  in  an 
iridescent  halo,  it  spread  swiftly,  seeming  to  melt  its 
way  down  through  the  thick,  dark  mass  that  choked 
the  air,  and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  New  York 
and  all  its  surroundings  emerged  into  the  golden  light 
of  noonday. 

People  who  had  expected  at  any  moment  to  feel  the 
water  pitilessly  rising  about  them  looked  out  of  their 
windows,  and  were  astonished  to  see  only  tiny  rivulets 
which  were  already  shriveling  out  of  sight  in  the  gut 
ters.  In  a  few  minutes  there  was  no  running  water 
left,  although  the  dampness  on  the  walls  and  walks 
showed  how  great  the  humidity  of  the  air  had  been. 


64  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

At  the  same  time  the  oppression  was  lifted  from 
the  respiratory  apparatus,  and  everybody  breathed 
freely  once  more,  and  felt  courage  returning  with 
each  respiration. 

The  whole  great  city  seemed  to  utter  a  vast  sigh 
of  relief. 

And  then  its  voice  was  heard,  as  it  had  never  been 
heard  before,  rising  higher  and  louder  every  moment. 
It  was  the  first  time  that  morning  had  ever  broken  at 
midday. 

The  streets  became  filled,  with  magical  quickness, 
by  hundreds  of  thousands,  who  chattered,  and 
shouted,  and  laughed,  and  shook  hands,  and  asked 
questions,  and  told  their  experiences,  and  demanded 
if  anybody  had  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing  before, 
and  wondered  what  it  could  have  been,  and  what  it 
meant,  and  whether  it  would  come  back  again. 

Telephones  of  all  kinds  were  kept  constantly  busy. 
Women  called  up  their  friends,  and  talked  hysteric 
ally;  men  called  up  their  associates  and  partners,  and 
tried  to  talk  business. 

There  was  a  rush  for  the  Elevated,  for  the  Sub 
ways,  for  the  street  auto-cars.  The  great  arteries  of 
traffic  became  jammed,  and  the  noise  rose  louder  and 
louder. 

Belated  aero-expresses  arrived  at  the  towers  from 
East  and  West,  and  their  passengers  hurried  down 
to  join  the  excited  multitudes  below. 

In  an  incredibly  brief  time  the  newsboys  were  out 


THE  THIRD  SIGN  65 

with  extras.  Then  everybody  read  with  the  utmost 
avidity  what  everybody  knew  already. 

But  before  many  hours  passed  there  was  real  news, 
come  by  wireless,  and  by  submarine  telephone  and 
telegraph,  telling  how  the  whole  world  had  been 
swept  by  the  marvelous  cloak  of  darkness. 

In  Europe  it  had  arrived  during  the  morning 
hours;  in  Asia  during  the  afternoon. 

The  phenomena  had  varied  in  different  places.  In 
some  the  darkness  had  not  been  complete,  but  every 
where  it  was  accompanied  by  extraordinary  humidity, 
and  occasionally  by  brief  but  torrential  rains.  The 
terror  had  been  universal,  and  all  believed  that  it  was 
the  third  sign  predicted  by  Cosmo  Versal. 

Of  course,  the  latter  was  interviewed,  and  he  gave 
out  a  characteristic  manifesto. 

"  One  of  the  outlying  spirals  of  the  nebula  has 
struck  the  earth,"  he  said.  "  But  do  not  be  deceived. 
It  is  nothing  in  comparison  with  what  is  coming. 
And  it  is  the  LAST  WARNING  that  will  be  given!  You 
have  obstinately  shut  your  eyes  to  the  truth,  and  you 
have  thrown  away  your  lives!" 

This,  together  with  the  recent  awful  experience, 
produced  a  great  effect.  Those  who  had  begun  to 
lay  foundations  for  arks  thought  of  resuming  the 
work.  Those  who  had  before  sought  places  with 
Cosmo  called  him  up  by  telephone.  But  only  the 
voice  of  Joseph  Smith  answered,  and  his  words  were 
not  reassuring. 


66  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

41  Mr.  Versal,"  he  said,  "  directs  me  to  say  that  at 
present  he  will  allot  no  places.  He  is  considering 
whom  he  will  take." 

The  recipients  of  this  reply  looked  very  blank. 
But  at  least  one  of  them,  a  well-known  broker  in  Wall 
Street,  was  more  angered  than  frightened: 

"Let  him  go  to  the  deuce!"  he  growled;  "him 
and  his  flood  together!  " 

Then  he  resolutely  set  out  to  bull  the  market. 

It  seems  incredible — but  such  is  human  nature — 
that  a  few  days  of  bright  sunshine  should  once  more 
have  driven  off  the  clouds  of  fear  that  had  settled  so 
densely  over  the  popular  mind.  Of  course,  not  every 
body  forgot  the  terrors  of  the  third  sign — they  had 
struck  too  deep,  but  gradually  the  strain  was  relaxed, 
and  people  in  general  accepted  the  renewed  assurances 
of  the  savants  of  the  Pludder  type  that  nothing  that 
had  occurred  was  inexplicable  by  the  ordinary  laws 
of  nature.  The  great  darkness,  they  averred,  differed 
from  previous  occurrences  of  the  kind  only  in  degree, 
and  it  was  to  be  ascribed  to  nothing  more  serious  than 
atmospheric  vagaries,  such  as  that  which  produced 
the  historic  Dark  Day  in  New  England  in  the  year 
1780. 

But  more  nervous  persons  noticed,  with  certain 
misgivings,  that  Cosmo  Versal  pushed  on  his  opera 
tions,  if  possible  more  energetically  than  before.  And 
there  was  a  stir  of  renewed  interest  when  the  an 
nouncement  came  out  one  day  that  the  ark  was  fin- 


THE  THIRD  SIGN  67 

ished.  Then  thousands  hurried  to  Mineola  to  look 
upon  the  completed  work. 

The  extraordinary  massiveness  of  the  ark  was  im 
posing.  Towering  ominously  on  its  platform,  which 
was  so  arranged  that  when  the  waters  came  they 
should  lift  the  structure  from  its  cradle  and  set  it 
afloat  without  any  other  launching,  it  seemed  in  itself 
a  prophecy  of  impending  disaster. 

Overhead  it  was  roofed  with  an  oblong  dome  of 
levium,  through  which  rose  four  great  metallic  chim 
neys,  placed  above  the  mighty  engines.  The  roof 
sloped  down  to  the  vertical  sides,  to  afford  protection 
from  in-bursting  waves.  Rows  of  portholes,  covered 
with  thick,  stout  glass,  indicated  the  location  of  the 
superposed  decks.  On  each  side  four  gangways  gave 
access  to  the  interior,  and  long,  sloping  approaches  of 
fered  means  of  entry  from  the  ground. 

Cosmo  had  a  force  of  trained  guards  on  hand,  but 
everybody  who  wished  was  permitted  to  enter  and 
inspect  the  ark.  Curious  multitudes  constantly 
mounted  and  descended  the  long  approaches,  being 
kept  moving  by  the  guards. 

Inside  they  wandered  about  astonished  by  what 
they  saw. 

The  three  lower  decks  were  devoted  to  the  storage 
of  food  and  of  fuel  for  the  electric  generators  which 
Cosmo  Versal  had  been  accumulating  for  months. 

Above  these  were  two  decks,  which  the  visitors 
were  informed  would  be  occupied  by  animals,  and  by 


68  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

boxes  of  seeds,  and  prepared  roots  of  plants,  with 
which  it  was  intended  to  restore  the  vegetable  life  of 
the  planet  after  the  water  should  have  sufficiently 
receded. 

The  five  remaining  decks  were  for  human  beings. 
There  were  roomy  quarters  for  the  commander  and 
his  officers,  others  for  the  crew,  several  large  saloons, 
and  five  hundred  sets  of  apartments  of  various  sizes 
to  be  occupied  by  the  passengers  whom  Cosmo  should 
choose  to  accompany  him.  They  had  all  the  con 
venience  of  the  most  luxurious  staterooms  of  the  trans-i 
oceanic  liners.  Many  joking  remarks  were  exchanged 
by  the  visitors  as  they  inspected  these  rooms. 

Cosmo  ran  about  among  his  guests,  explaining 
everything,  showing  great  pride  in  his  work,  pointing 
out  a  thousand  particulars  in  which  his  foresight  had 
been  displayed — but,  to  everybody's  astonishment,  he 
uttered  no  more  warnings,  and  made  no  appeals.  On 
the  contrary,  as  some  observant  persons  noticed,  he 
seemed  to  avoid  any  reference  to  the  fate  of  those 
who  should  not  be  included  in  his  ship's  company. 

Some  sensitive  souls  were  disturbed  by  detecting 
in  his  eyes  a  look  that  seemed  to  express  deep  pity 
and  regret.  Occasionally  he  would  draw  apart,  and 
gaze  at  the  passing  crowds  with  a  compassionate  ex 
pression,  and  then,  slowly  turning  his  back,  while  his 
fingers  worked  nervously,  would  disappear,  with 
downcast  head,  in  his  private  room. 

The  comparatively  few  who  particularly  noticed 


THE  THIRD  SIGN  69 

this  conduct  of  Cosmo's  were  deeply  moved — more 
than  they  had  been  by  all  the  enigmatic  events  of  the 
past  months.  One  man,  Amos  Blank,  a  rich  manu 
facturer,  who  was  notorious  for  the  merciless  meth 
ods  that  he  had  pursued  in  eliminating  his  weaker 
competitors,  was  so  much  disturbed  by  Cosmo  Ver- 
saTs  change  of  manner  that  he  sought  an  opportunity 
to  speak  to  him  privately.  Cosmo  received  him  with 
a  reluctance  that  he  could  not  but  notice,  and  which, 
somehow,  increased  his  anxiety. 

"  I — I — thought,"  said  the  billionaire  hesitatingly, 
"  that  I  ought — that  is  to  say,  that  I  might,  perhaps, 
inquire — might  inform  myself — under  what  condi 
tions  one  could,  supposing  the  necessity  to  arise,  obtain 
a  passage  in  your — in  your  ark.  Of  course  the  ques 
tion  of  cost  does  not  enter  in  the  matter — not  with 
me." 

Cosmo  gazed  at  the  man  coldly,  and  all  the  com 
passion  that  had  recently  softened  his  steely  eyes  dis 
appeared.  For  a  moment*  he  did  not  speak.  Then 
he  said,  measuring  his  words  and  speaking  with  an 
emphasis  that  chilled  the  heart  of  his  listener: 

"  Mr.  Blank,  the  necessity  has  arisen." 

"  So  you  say — so  you  say "  began  Mr.  Blank. 

"  So  I  say,"  interrupted  Cosmo  sternly,   "  and  I 

say  further  that  this  ark  has  been  constructed  to  save 

those  who  are  worthy  of  salvation,  in  order  that  all 

that  is  good  and  admirable  in  humanity  may  not 

^perish  from  the  earth." 


70  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Exactly,  exactly,"  responded  the  other,  smiling, 
and  rubbing  his  hands.  "  You  are  quite  right  to 
make  a  proper  choice.  If  your  flood  is  going  to 
cause  a  general  destruction  of  mankind,  of  course  you 
are  bound  to  select  the  best,  the  most  advanced,  those 
who  have  pushed  to  the  front,  those  who  have  means, 
those  with  the  strongest  resources.  The  masses,  who 
possess  none  of  these  qualifications  and  claims— 

Again  Cosmo  Versal  interrupted  him,  more  coldly 
than  before: 

"  It  costs  nothing  to  be  a  passenger  in  this  ark. 
Ten  million  dollars,  a  hundred  millions,  would  not 
purchase  a  place  in  it!  Did  you  ever  hear  the  para 
ble  of  the  camel  and  the  needle's  eye?  The  price 
of  a  ticket  here  is  an  irreproachable  record!  " 

With  these  astonishing  words  Cosmo  turned  his 
back  upon  his  visitor  and  shut  the  door  in  his  face. 

The  billionaire  staggered  back,  rubbed  his  head, 
and  then  went  off  muttering: 

"  An  idiot !  A  plain  idiot !  There  will  be  no 
flood." 


CHAPTER  VI 

SELECTING  THE   FLOWER  OF   MANKIND 

A  FTER  a  day  or  two,  during  which  the  ark  was 
left  open  for  inspection,  and  was  visited  by 
many  thousands,  Cosmo  Versal  announced  that  no 
more  visitors  would  be  admitted.  He  placed  sentinels 
at  all  entrances,  and  began  the  construction  of  a 
shallow  ditch,  entirely  inclosing  the  grounds.  Public 
curiosity  was  intensely  excited  by  this  singular  pro 
ceeding,  especially  when  it  became  known  that  the 
workmen  were  stringing  copper  wires  the  whole 
length  of  the  ditch. 

"  What  the  deuce  is  he  up  to  now?  "  was  the  ques 
tion  on  everybody's  lips. 

But  Cosmo  and  his  employees  gave  evasive  replies5 
to  all  inquiries.  A  great  change  had  come  about  in 
Cosmo's  treatment  of  the  public.  No  one  was  any 
longer  encouraged  to  watch  the  operations. 

When  the  wires  were  all  placed  and  the  ditch  was 
finished,  it  was  covered  up  so  that  it  made  a  broad 
flat-topped  wall,  encircling  the  field. 

Speculation  was  rife  for  several  days  concerning 
the  purpose  of  the  mysterious  ditch  and  its  wires,  but 
no  universally  satisfactory  explanation  was  found. 

71 


72  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

One  enterprising  reporter  worked  out  an  elaborate 
scheme,  which  he  ascribed  to  Cosmo  Versal,  accord 
ing  to  which  the  wired  ditch  was  to  serve  as  a  cumu- 
lator  of  electricity,  which  would,  at  the  proper  mo 
ment,  launch  the  ark  upon  the  waters,  thus  avoiding 
all  danger  of  a  fatal  detention  in  case  the  flood  should 
rise  too  rapidly. 

This  seemed  so  absurd  on  its  face  that  it  went  far 
to  quiet  apprehension  by  reawakening  doubts  of  Cos 
mo's  sanity — the  more  especially  since  he  made  no 
attempt  to  contradict  the  assertion  that  the  scheme 
was  his. 

Nobody  guessecl  what  his  real  intention  was;  if 
people  had  guessed,  it  might  have  been  bad  for  their 
peace  of  mind. 

The  next  move  of  Cosmo  Versal  was  taken  with 
out  any  knowledge  or  suspicion  on  the  part  of  the 
public.  He  had  now  established  himself  in  his  apart 
ments  in  the  ark,  and  was  never  seen  in  the  city. 

One  evening,  when  all  was  quiet  about  the  ark, 
night  work  being  now  unnecessary,  Cosmo  and  Joseph 
Smith  sat  facing  one  another  at  a  square  table  lighted 
by  a  shaded  lamp.  Smith  had  a  pile  of  writing  paper 
before  him,  and  was  evidently  prepared  to  take  copi 
ous  notes. 

Cosmo's  great  brow  was  contracted  with  thought, 
and  he  leaned  his  cheek  upon  his  hand.  It  was  clear 
that  his  meditations  were  troublesome.  For  at  least 
ten  minutes  he  did  not  open  his  lips,  and  Smith 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND     73 

watched  him  anxiously.  At  last  he  said,  speaking 
slowly : 

"  Joseph,  this  is  the  most  trying  problem  that  I 
have  had  to  solve.  The  success  of  all  my  work  de 
pends  upon  my  not  making  a  mistake  now. 

"  The  burden  of  responsibility  that  rests  on  my 
shoulders  is  such  as  no  mortal  has  ever  borne.  It  is 
too  great  for  human  capacity — and  yet  how  can  I 
cast  it  off? 

"  I  am  to  decide  who  shall  be  saved !  /,  /  alone,  /, 
Cosmo  Versal,  hold  in  my  hands  the  fate  of  a  race 
numbering  two  thousand  million  souls! — the  fate  of 
a  planet  which,  without  my  intervention,  would  be 
come  simply  a  vast  tomb.  It  is  for  me  to  say  whether 
the  genus  homo  shall  be  perpetuated,  and  in  what 
form  it  shall  be  perpetuated.  Joseph,  this  is  terri 
ble  !  These  are  the  functions  of  deity,  not  of  man." 

Joseph  Smith  seemed  no  longer  to  breathe,  so  in 
tense  was  his  attention.  His  eyes  glowed  under  the 
dark  brows,  and  his  pencil  trembled  in  his  fingers. 
After  a  slight  pause  Cosmo  Versal  went  on : 

"  If  I  felt  any  doubt  that  Providence  had  fore 
ordained  me  to  do  this  work,  and  given  me  extraor 
dinary  faculties,  and  extraordinary  knowledge,  to  en 
able  me  to  perform  it,  I  would,  this  instant,  blow 
out  my  brains." 

Again  he  was  silent,  the  secretary,  after  fidgeting 
about,  bending  and  unbending  his  brows,  and  tapping 
nervously  upon  the  table,  at  last  said  solemnly: 


74  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Cosmo,  you  are  ordained ;  you  must  do  the  work." 

"  I  must,"  returned  Cosmo  Versal,  "  I  know  that; 
and  yet  the  sense  of  my  responsibility  sometimes 
covers  me  with  a  cloud  of  despair.  The  other  day, 
when  the  ark  was  crowded  with  curiosity  seekers,  the 
thought  that  not  one  of  all  those  tens  of  thousands 
could  escape,  and  that  hundreds  of  millions  of  others 
must  also  be  lost,  overwhelmed  me.  Then  I  began 
to  reproach  myself  for  not  having  been  a  more  effec 
tive  agent  in  warning  my  fellows  of  their  peril.  Jo 
seph,  I  have  miserably  failed.  I  ought  to  have  pro 
duced  universal  conviction  that  I  was  right,  and  I 
have  not  done  it." 

"  It  is  not  your  fault,  Cosmo,"  said  Joseph  Smith, 
reaching  out  his  long  arm  to  touch  his  leader's  hand. 
"  It  is  an  unbelieving  generation.  They  have  re 
jected  even  the  signs  in  the  heavens.  The  voice  of 
an  archangel  would  not  have  convinced  them." 

"  It  is  true,"  replied  Cosmo.  "  And  the  truth  is 
the  more  bitter  to  me  because  I  spoke  in  the  name  of 
science,  and  the  very  men  who  represent  science  have 
been  my  most  determined  opponents,  blinding  the  peo 
ple's  eyes — after  willfully  shutting  their  own." 

"  You  say  you  have  been  weak,"  interposed  Smith, 
"which  you  have  not  been;  but  you  would  be  weak 
if  you  now  shrank  from  your  plain  duty." 

'  True !  "  cried  Cosmo,  in  a  changed  voice.  "  Let 
us  then  proceed.  I  had  a  lesson  the  other  day.  Amos 
Blank  came  to  me,  puffed  with  his  pillaged  millions. 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND     75 

I  saw  then  what  I  had  to  do.  I  told  him  plainly  that 
he  was  not  among  the  chosen.  Hand  me  that  book 
over  there." 

The  secretary  pushed  a  large  volume  within  Cos 
mo's  reach.  He  opened  it.  It  was  a  "  Year-Book 
of  Science,  Politics,  Sociology,  History,  and  Govern 
ment." 

Cosmo  ran  over  its  pages,  stopping  to  read  a  few 
lines  here  and  there,  seeming  to  make  mental  notes. 
After  a  while  he  pushed  the  book  aside,  looked  at  his 
companion  thoughtfully,  and  began : 

"  The  trouble  with  the  world  is  that  morally  and 
physically  it  has  for  thousands  of  years  grown  more 
and  more  corrupt.  The  flower  of  civilization,  about 
which  people  boast  so  much,  nods  over  the  stagnant 
waters  of  a  moral  swamp  and  draws  its  perilous 
beauty  from  the  poisons  of  the  miasma. 

"  The  nebula,  in  drowning  the  earth,  brings  oppor 
tunity  for  a  new  birth  of  mankind.  You  will  remem 
ber,  Joseph,  that  the  same  conditions  are  said  to  have 
prevailed  in  the  time  of  Noah.  There  was  no  science 
then,  and  we  do  not  know  exactly  on  what  principles 
the  choice  was  made  of  those  who  should  escape;  but 
the  simple  history  of  Noah  shows  that  he  and  his 
friends  represented  the  best  manhood  of  that  early 
age. 

"  But  the  seeds  of  corruption  were  not  eliminated, 
and  the  same  problem  recurs  to-day. 

"  I  have  to  determine  whom  I  will  save.     I  attack 


76  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  question  by  inquiring  who  represent  the  best  ele 
ments  of  humanity?  Let  us  first  consider  men  by 
classes." 

"And  why  not  by  races?"  asked  Smith. 

"  I  shall  not  look  to  see  whether  a  man  is  black, 
white,  or  yellow;  whether  his  skull  is  brachycephalic 
or  dolichocephalic,"  replied  Cosmo.  "  I  shall  look 
inside.  No  race  has  ever  shown  itself  permanently 
the  best." 

'Then  by  classes  you  mean  occupations?" 

:'  Well,  yes,  for  the  occupation  shows  the  tendency, 
the  quintessence  of  character.  Some  men  are  born 
rulers  and  leaders;  others  are  born  followers.  Both 
are  necessary,  and  I  must  have  both  kinds." 

'  You  will  begin  perhaps  with  the  kings,  the  presi 
dents?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  I  shall  begin  with  the  men  of  science. 
They  are  the  true  leaders." 

"  But  they  have  betrayed  you — they  have  shut  their 
eyes  and  blindfolded  others,"  objected  Joseph  Smith, 
as  if  in  extenuation. 

'  You  do  not  understand  me,"  said  Cosmo,  with 
a  commiserating  smile.  "  If  my  scientific  brethren 
have  not  seen  as  clearly  as  I  have  done,  the  fault  lies 
not  in  science,  but  in  lack  of  comprehension.  Never 
theless,  they  are  on  the  right  track;  they  have  the  gist 
of  the  matter  in  them;  they  are  trained  in  the  right 
method.  If  I  should  leave  them  out,  the  regenerated 
world  would  start  a  thousand  years  behind  time.  Be- 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND     77 

sides,  many  of  them  are  not  so  blind;  some  of  them 
have  got  a  glimpse  of  the  truth." 

"  Not  such  men  as  Pludder,"  said  Smith. 

"  All  the  same,  I  am  going  to  save  Pludder,"  said 
Cosmo  Versal. 

Joseph  Smith  fairly  jumped  with  astonishment. 

'  You — are — going — to — save — Pludder,"  he  fal 
tered.  "  But  he  is  the  worst  of  all." 

"  Not  from  my  present  view-point.  Pludder  has 
a  good  brain;  he  can  handle  the  tools;  he  is  intellec 
tually  honest;  he  has  done  great  things  for  science 
in  the  past.  And,  besides,  I  do  not  conceal  from  you 
the  fact  that  I  should  like  to  see  him  convicted  out 
of  his  own  mouth." 

"  But,"  persisted  Smith,  "  I  have  heard  you  say 
that  he  was " 

"  No  matter  what  you  have  heard  me  say,"  inter 
rupted  Cosmo  impatiently.  "  I  say  now  that  he  shall 
go  with  us.  Put  down  his  name  at  the  head  of  the 
list." 

Dumfounded  and  muttering  under  his  breath, 
Smith  obeyed. 

u  I  can  take  exactly  one  thousand  individuals,  ex 
clusive  of  the  crew,"  continued  Versal,  paying  no  at 
tention  to  his  confidant's  repeated  shaking  of  his  head. 
"  Good  Heavens,  think  of  that!  One  thousand  out 
of  two  thousand  millions !  But  so  be  it.  Nobody 
would  listen  to  me,  and  now  it  is  too  late.  I  must 
fix  the  number  for  each  class." 


78  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  There  is  one  thing — one  curious  question — that 
occurs  to  me,"  put  in  Smith  hesitatingly.  ;'  What 
about  families?  " 

"  There  you've  hit  it,"  cried  Cosmo.  "  That's  ex 
actly  what  bothers  me.  There  must  be  as  many 
women  as  men — that  goes  without  saying.  Then, 
too,  the  strongest  moral  element  is  in  the  women,  al 
though  they  don't  weigh  heavily  for  science.  But  the 
aged  people  and  the  children — there's  the  difficulty. 
If  I  invite  a  man  who  possesses  unquestionable  quali 
fications,  but  has  a  large  family,  what  am  I  to  do? 
I  can't  crowd  out  others  as  desirable  as  he  for  the 
sake  of  carrying  all  of  his  stirpes.  The  principles  of 
eugenics  demand  a  wide  field  of  selection." 

Cosmo  Versal  covered  his  eyes,  rested  his  big  head 
on  his  hands,  and  his  elbows  on  the  table.  Presently 
he  looked  up  with  an  air  of  decision. 

"  I  see  what  I  must  do,"  he  said.  "  I  can  take 
only  four  persons  belonging  to  any  one  family.  Two 
of  them  may  be  children — a  man,  his  wife,  and  two 
children — no  more." 

"  But  that  will  be  very  hard  lines  for  them " 

began  Joseph  Smith. 

"  Hard  lines!  "  Cosmo  broke  in.  "  Do  you  think 
it  is  easy  lines  for  me?  Good  Heavens,  man !  I  am 
forced  to  this  decision.  It  rends  my  heart  to  think 
of  it,  but  I  can't  avoid  the  responsibility." 

Smith  dropped  his  eyes,  and  Cosmo  resumed  his 
reflections.  In  a  little  while  he  spoke  again : 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND     79 

"  Another  thing  that  I  must  fix  is  an  age  limit. 
But  that  will  have  to  be  subject  to  certain  exceptions. 
Very  aged  persons  in  general  will  not  do — they  could 
not  survive  the  long  voyage,  and  only  in  the  rare 
instances  where  their  experience  of  life  might  be  val 
uable  would  they  serve  any  good  purpose  in  reestab 
lishing  the  race.  Children  are  indispensable — but 
they  must  not  be  too  young — infants  in  arms  would 
not  do  at  all.  Oh,  this  is  sorry  work!  But  I  must 
harden  my  heart." 

Joseph  Smith  looked  at  his  chief,  and  felt  a  twinge 
of  sympathy,  tempered  by  admiration,  for  he  saw 
clearly  the  terrible  contest  in  his  friend's  mind  and 
appreciated  the  heroic  nature  of  the  decision  to  which 
the  inexorable  logic  of  facts  had  driven  it. 

Cosmo  Versal  was  again  silent  for  a  long  time. 
Finally  he  appeared  to  throw  off  the  incubus,  and, 
with  a  return  of  his  ordinary  decisiveness,  exclaimed: 

"  Enough.  I  have  settled  the  general  principle. 
Now  to  the  choice." 

Then,  closing  his  eyes,  as  if  to  assist  his  memory, 
he  ran  over  a  list  of  names  well  known  in  the  world 
of  science,  and  Smith  set  them  down  in  a  long  row 
under  the  name  of  "  Abiel  Pludder,"  with  which  he 
had  begun. 

At  last  Cosmo  Versal  ceased  his  dictation. 

"  There,"  he  said,  "  that  is  the  end  of  that  cate 
gory.  I  may  add  to  or  subtract  from  it  later.  Ac 
cording  to  probability,  making  allowance  for  bache- 


8o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

lors,  each  name  will  represent  three  persons;  there 
are  seventy-five  names,  which  means  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  places  reserved  for  science.  I  will  now 
make  a  series  of  other  categories  and  assign  the  num 
ber  of  places  for  each." 

He  seized  a  sheet  of  paper  and  fell  to  work,  while 
Smith  looked  on,  drumming  with  his  fingers  and  con 
torting  his  huge  black  eyebrows.  For  half  an  hour 
complete  silence  reigned,  broken  only  by  the  gliding 
sound  of  Cosmo  Versal's  pencil,  occasionally  em 
phasized  by  a  soft  thump.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  threw  down  the  pencil  and  held  out  the  paper  to 
his  companion. 

"  Of  course,"  he  said,  "  this  is  not  a  complete  list 
of  human  occupations.  I  have  set  down  the  principal 
ones  as  they  occurred  to  me.  There  will  be  time  to 
correct  any  oversight.  Read  it." 

Smith,  by  force  of  habit,  read  it  aloud: 

No.  of        Probable  No. 

Occupation  Names           of  Places 

Science  (already  assigned)    75  225 

Rulers   15  45 

Statesmen  10  30 

Business  magnates  10  30 

Philanthropists    5  15 

Artists   15  45 

Religious  teachers    20  60 

School-teachers    20  60 

Doctors   30  90 

Lawyers    i  3 

Writers   6  18 

Editors    2  6 

Players   14  42 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND      81 


Occupation 
Philosophers    

No.  of 
Names 
.  .  .           i 

Probable  No. 
of  Places 
* 

Musicians    

12 

96 

Speculative    geniuses    

•i 

"  Society  "     

.  .  .              O 

o 

Agriculture  and  mechanics  .  .  . 

QO 

270 

Totals   

•22Q 

q87 

Special  reservations  . 

n 

Grand  total,  places   1,000 

Several  times  while  Joseph  Smith  was  reading  he 
raised  his  eyebrows,  as  if  in  surprise  or  mental  pro 
test,  but  made  no  remark. 

"  Now,"  resumed  Cosmo  when  the  secretary  had 
finished,  "  let  us  begin  with  the  rulers.  I  do  not 
know  them  as  intimately  as  I  know  the  men  of  science, 
but  I  am  sure  I  have  given  them  places  enough.  Sup 
pose  you  take  this  book  and  call  them  over  to  me." 

Smith  opened  the  "  year-book,"  and  began: 

"  George  Washington  Samson,  President  of  the 
United  States." 

"  He  goes.  He  is  not  intellectually  brilliant,  but 
he  has  strong  sense  and  good  moral  fiber.  I'll  save 
him  if  for  no  other  reason  than  his  veto  of  the  Ant 
arctic  Continent  grab  bill." 

"  Shen  Su,  Son  of  Heaven,  President-Emperor  of 
China." 

"  Put  him  down.  I  like  him.  He  is  a  true  Con 
fucian." 


82  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Joseph  Smith  read  off  several  other  names  at  which 
Cosmo  shook  his  head.  Then  he  came  to : 

"  Richard  Edward,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  of 
Great " 

"Enough,"  broke  in  Cosmo;  "we  all  know 
him — the  man  who  has  done  more  for  peace 
by  putting  half  the  British  navy  out  of  commission 
than  any  other  ruler  in  history.  I  can't  leave  him 
out." 

"  Achille  Dumont,  President  of  the  French  re 
public." 

"  I'll  take  him." 

"  William  IV,  German  Emperor." 

"  Admitted,  for  he  has  at  last  got  the  war  microbe 
out  of  the  family  blood." 

Then  followed  a  number  of  rulers  who  were  not 
lucky  enough  to  meet  with  Cosmo  Versal's  approval, 
and  when  Smith  read: 

"  Alexander  V,  Emperor  of  all  the  Russias,"  the 
big  head  was  violently  shaken,  and  its  owner  ex 
claimed: 

"  There  will  be  many  Russians  in  the  ark,  for 
tyranny  has  been  like  a  lustration  to  that  people;  but 
I  will  carry  none  of  its  Romanoff  seeds  to  my  new 
world." 

The  selection  was  continued  until  fifteen  names  had 
been  obtained,  including  that  of  the  new,  dark-skinned 
President  of  Liberia,  and  Cosmo  declared  that  he 
would  not  add  another  one. 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND     83 

Then  came  the  ten  statesmen  who  were  chosen  with 
utter  disregard  to  racial  and  national  lines. 

In  selecting  his  ten  business  magnates,  Cosmo 
stated  his  rule: 

"  I  exclude  no  man  simply  because  he  is  a  billion 
aire.  I  consider  the  way  he  made  his  money.  The 
world  must  always  have  rich  men.  How  could  I  have 
built  the  ark  if  I  had  been  poor?  " 

"  Philanthropists,"  read  Smith. 

"  I  should  have  taken  a  hundred  if  I  could  have 
found  them,"  said  Cosmo.  "  There  are  plenty  of 
candidates,  but  these  five  [naming  them]  are  the  only 
genuine  ones,  and  I  am  doubtful  about  several  of 
them.  But  I  must  run  some  chances,  philanthropy 
being  indispensable." 

For  the  fifteen  representatives  of  art  Cosmo  con 
fined  his  selection  largely  to  architecture. 

"  The  building  instinct  must  be  preserved,"  he  ex 
plained.  "  One  of  the  first  things  we  shall  need  after 
the  flood  recedes  is  a  variety  of  all  kinds  of  struc 
tures.  But  it's  a  pretty  bad  lot  at  the  best.  I  shall 
try  to  reform  their  ideas  during  the  voyage.  As  to 
the  other  artists,  they,  too,  will  need  some  hints  that 
I  can  give  them,  and  that  they  can  transmit  to  their 
children." 

Under  the  head  of  religious  teachers,  Cosmo  re 
marked  that  he  had  tried  to  be  fair  to  all  forms  of 
genuine  faith  that  had  a  large  following.  The  school 
teachers  represented  the  principal  languages,  and 


84  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Cosmo  selected  the  names  from  a  volume  on  "  The 
Educational  Systems  of  the  World,"  remarking  that 
he  ran  some  risk  here,  but  it  could  not  easily  be 
avoided. 

"  Doctors — they  get  a  rather  liberal  allowance, 
don't  they?  "  asked  Smith. 

"  Not  half  as  large  as  I'd  like  to  have  it,"  was  the 
response.  "  The  doctors  are  the  salt  of  the  earth. 
It  breaks  my  heart  to  have  to  leave  out  so  many 
whose  worth  I  know." 

"And  only  one  lawyer!"  pursued  Joseph. 
"  That's  curious." 

"  Not  in  the  least  curious.  Do  you  think  I  want 
to  scatter  broadcast  the  seeds  of  litigation  in  a  regen 
erated  world?  Put  down  the  name  of  Chief  Justice 
Good  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  He'll 
see  that  equity  prevails." 

"  And  only  six  writers,"  continued  Smith. 

"  And  that's  probably  too  many,"  said  Cosmo. 
"  Set  down  under  that  head  Peter  Inkson,  whom  I 
will  engage  to  record  the  last  scenes  on  the  drowning 
earth;  James  Henry  Blackwitt,  who  will  tell  the  story 
of  the  voyage ;  Jules  Bourgeois,  who  can  describe  the 
personnel  of  the  passengers;  Sergius  Narishkoff,  who 
will  make  a  study  of  their  psychology;  and  Nicolao 
Ludolfo,  whose  description  of  the  ark  will  be  an 
invaluable  historic  document  a  thousand  years  hence." 

"  But  you  have  included  no  poets,"  remarked 
Smith. 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND     85 

"  Not  necessary,"  responded  Cosmo.  "  Every  hu 
man  being  is  a  poet  at  bottom." 

"  And  no  novelists,"  persisted  the  secretary. 
'  They  will  spring  up  thicker  than  weeds  before 
the  waters  are  half  gone — at  least,  they  would  if  I 
let  one  aboard  the  ark." 

"  Editors — two?  " 

'  That's  right.  And  two  too  many,  perhaps.  I'll 
take  Jinks  of  the  Thunderer,  and  Bullock  of  the 
Owl" 

"  But  both  of  them  have  persistently  called  you  an 
idiot." 

"  For  that  reason  I  want  them.  No  world  could 
get  along  without  some  real  idiots." 

"  I  am  rather  surprised  at  the  next  entry,  if  you 
will  permit  me  to  speak  of  it,"  said  Joseph  Smith. 
"  Here  you  have  forty-two  places  reserved  for 
players." 

'  That  means  twenty-eight  adults,  and  probably 
some  youngsters  who  will  be  able  to  take  parts,"  re 
turned  Cosmo,  rubbing  his  hands  with  a  satisfied 
smile.  u  I  have  taken  as  many  players  as  I  con 
scientiously  could,  not  only  because  of  their  future 
value,  but  because  they  will  do  more  than  anything 
else  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  everybody  in  the  ark. 
I  shall  have  a  stage  set  in  the  largest  saloon." 

Joseph  Smith  scowled,  but  held  his  peace.  Then, 
glancing  again  at  the  paper,  he  remarked  that  there 
was  but  one  philosopher  to  be  provided  for. 


86  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  It  is  easy  to  name  him,"  said  Cosmo.  "  Kant 
Jacobi  LeergescLwatz." 

"Why  he?" 

"  Because  he  will  harmlessly  represent  the  meta 
physical  genus,  for  nobody  will  ever  understand  him." 

"  Musicians  twelve?  " 

"  Chosen  for  the  same  reason  as  the  players,"  said 
Cosmo,  rapidly  writing  down  twelve  names  because 
they  were  not  easy  to  pronounce,  and  handing  them 
to  Smith,  who  duly  copied  them  off. 

When  this  was  done  Cosmo  himself  called  out  the 
next  category —  '  speculative  geniuses.' ' 

"  I  mean  by  that,"  he  continued,  "  not  Wall  Street 
speculators,  but  foreseeing  men  who  possess  the  gift 
of  looking  into  the  '  seeds  of  time,'  but  who  never 
get  a  hearing  in  their  own  day,  and  are  hardly  ever 
remembered  by  the  future  ages  which  enjoy  the  fruits 
whose  buds  they  recognized." 

Cosmo  mentioned  two  names  which  Joseph  Smith 
had  never  heard,  and  told  him  they  ought  to  be  writ 
ten  in  golden  ink. 

'  They  are  sui  generis,  and  alone  in  the  world. 
They  are  the  most  precious  cargo  I  shall  have 
aboard,"  he  added. 

Smith  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  stared  blankly  at 
the  paper,  while  Cosmo  sank  into  a  reverie.  Finally 
the  secretary  said,  smiling  with  evident  approval  this 
time: 

"'  Society'  zero." 


SELECTING  FLOWER  OF  MANKIND      87 

"  Precisely,  for  what  does  '  society  '  represent  ex 
cept  its  own  vanity?  " 

"  And  then  comes  agriculture  and  mechanics." 

For  this  category  Cosmo  seemed  to  be  quite  as  well 
prepared  as  for  that  of  science.  He  took  from  his 
pocket  a  list  already  made  out  and  handed  it  to 
Joseph  Smith.  It  contained  forty  names  marked 
"  cultivators,  farmers,  gardeners,"  and  fifty  "  me 
chanics." 

"  At  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century,"  he 
said,  "  I  should  have  had  to  reverse  that  propor 
tion — in  fact,  my  entire  list  would  then  have  been 
top-heavy,  and  I  should  have  been  forced  to  give  half 
of  all  the  places  to  agriculture.  But  thanks  to  our 
scientific  farming,  the  personnel  employed  in  cultiva 
tion  is  now  reduced  to  a  minimum  while  showing 
maximum  results.  I  have  already  stored  the  ark  with 
seeds  of  the  latest  scientifically  developed  plants,  and 
with  all  the  needed  agricultural  implements  and 
machinery." 

"  There  yet  remain  thirteen  places  '  specially  re 
served,'  "  said  Smith,  referring  to  the  paper. 

"  I  shall  fill  those  later,"  responded  Cosmo,  and 
then  added  with  a  thoughtful  look,  "  I  have  some 
humble  friends." 

"  The  next  thing,"  he  continued,  after  a  pause,  "  is 
to  prepare  the  letters  of  invitation.  But  we  have 
done  enough  for  to-night.  I  will  give  you  the  form 
to-morrow." 


88  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

And  all  this  while  half  the  world  had  been  peace 
fully  sleeping,  and  the  other  half  going  about  its  busi 
ness,  more  and  more  forgetful  of  recent  events,  and  if 
it  had  known  what  those  two  men  were  about  it  would 
probably  have  exploded  in  a  gust  of  laughter. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    WATERS   BEGIN  TO  RISE 

VERSAL  had  begun  the  construction  of 
his  ark  in  the  latter  part  of  June.  It  was  now 
the  end  of  November.  The  terrors  of  the  third  sign 
had  occurred  in  September.  Since  then  the  sky  had 
nearly  resumed  its  normal  color,  there  had  been  no 
storms,  but  the  heat  of  summer  had  not  relaxed. 
People  were  puzzled  by  the  absence  of  the  usual  in 
dications  of  autumn,  although  vegetation  had  shriv 
eled  on  account  of  the  persistent  high  temperature  and 
constant  sunshine. 

"  An  extraordinary  year,"  admitted  the  meteor 
ologists,  "  but  there  have  been  warm  falls  before,  and 
it  is  simply  a  question  of  degree.  Nature  will  restore 
the  balance  and  in  good  time,  and  probably  we  shall 
have  a  severe  winter." 

On  the  3ist  of  November,  the  brassy  sky  at  New 
York  showed  no  signs  of  change,  when  the  follow 
ing  dispatch,  which  most  of  the  newspapers  triple- 
leaded  and  capped  with  stunning  headlines,  quivered 
down  from  Churchill,  Keewatin : 

During   last  night  the   level   of  the  water  in   Hudson  Bay  rose 
fully   nine   feet.     Consternation   reigned   this  morning   when   ship- 

89 


90  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

owners  found  their  wharves  inundated,  and  vessels  straining  at 
short  cables.  The  ice-breaker  "  Victoria  "  was  lifted  on  the  back 
of  a  sandy  bar,  having  apparently  been  driven  by  a  heavy  wave, 
which  must  have  come  from  the  East.  There  are  other  indica 
tions  that  the  mysterious  rise  began  with  a  "  bore  "  from  the  east 
ward.  It  is  thought  that  the  vast  mass  of  icebergs  set  afloat  on 
Davis's  Strait  by  the  long  continued  hot  weather  melting  the  shore 
glaciers,  has  caused  a  jam  off  the  mouth  of  Hudson  Strait,  and 
turned  the  Polar  current  suddenly  into  the  bay.  But  this  is  only  a 
theory.  A  further  rise  is  anticipated. 

*•  Startling  as  was  this  news,  it  might  not,  by  itself, 
have  greatly  disturbed  the  public  mind  if  it  had  not 
been  followed,  in  a  few  hours,  by  intelligence  of  im 
mense  floods  in  Alaska  and  in  the  basin  of  the  Mac 
kenzie  River. 

And  the  next  day  an  etherogram  from  Obdorsk 
bordered  on  the  grotesque,  and  filled  many  sensitive 
readers  with  horror. 

It  is  said  that  in  the  vast  tundra  regions  of 
Northern  Siberia  the  frozen  soil  had  dissolved  into 
a  bottomless  slough,  from  whose  depths  uprose  pre 
historic  mammoths,  their  long  hair  matted  with  mud, 
and  their  curved  tusks  of  ivory  gleaming  like  trum 
pets  over  the  field  of  their  resurrection.  The  dis 
patch  concluded  with  a  heart-rending  account  of  the 
loss  of  a  large  party  of  ivory  hunters,  who,  having 
ventured  too  far  from  the  more  solid  land,  suddenly 
found  the  ground  turning  to  black  ooze  beneath  their 
feet,  and,  despite  their  struggles,  were  all  engulfed 
within  sight  of  their  friends,  who  dared  not  try  to 
approach  them. 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE       91 

Cosmo  Versal,  when  interviewed,  calmly  remarked 
that  the  flood  was  beginning  in  the  north,  because 
it  was  the  northern  part  of  the  globe  that  was  nearest 
the  heart  of  the  nebula.  The  motion  of  the  earth 
being  northward,  that  end  of  its  axis  resembled  the 
prow  of  a  ship. 

"  But  this,"  he  added,  "  is  not  the  true  deluge. 
The  Arctic  ice-cap  is  melting,  and  the  frozen  soil  is 
turning  into  a  sponge  in  consequence  of  the  heat  of 
friction  developed  in  the  air  by  the  inrush  of  nebu 
lous  matter.  The  aqueous  vapor,  however,  has  not 
yet  touched  the  earth.  It  will  begin  to  manifest  its 
presence  within  a  few  days,  and  then  the  globe  will 
drink  water  at  every  pore.  The  vapor  will  finally  con 
dense  into  falling  oceans." 

;' What  would  you  advise  people  to  do?"  asked 
one  of  the  reporters. 

The  reply  was  given  in  a  perfectly  even  voice,  with 
out  change  of  countenance : 

"  Commit  suicide!  They  have  practically  done 
that  already." 

It  was  nearly  two  weeks  later  when  the  first  signs 
of  a  change  of  weather  were  manifested  in  middle 
latitudes.  It  came  on  with  a  rapid  veiling  of  the  sky, 
followed  by  a  thin,  misty,  persistent  rain.  The  heat 
grew  more  oppressive,  but  the  rain  did  not  become 
heavier,  and  after  a  few  days  there  would  be,  for  sev 
eral  consecutive  hours,  a  clear  spell,  during  which  the 
sun  would  shine,  though  with  a  sickly,  pallid  light. 


92  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  mystification  abroad,  and 
nobody  felt  at  ease.  Still,  the  ebullitions  of  terror  that 
had  accompanied  the  earlier  caprices  of  the  elements 
were  not  renewed.  People  were  getting  used  to  these 
freaks. 

In  the  middle  of  one  of  the  clear  spells  a  remarka 
ble  scene  occurred  at  Mineola. 

It  was  like  a  panorama  of  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Genesis. 

It  was  the  procession  of  the  beasts. 

Cosmo  Versal  had  concluded  that  the  time  was 
come  for  housing  his  animals  in  the  ark.  He  wished 
to  accustom  them  to  their  quarters  before  the  voyage 
began.  The  resulting  spectacle  filled  the  juvenile 
world  with  irrepressible  joy,  and  immensely  interested 
their  elders. 

No  march  of  a  menagerie  had  ever  come  within 
sight  of  equaling  this  display.  Many  of  the  beasts 
were  such  as  no  one  there  had  ever  seen  before. 
Cosmo  had  consulted  experts,  but,  in  the  end,  he  had 
been  guided  in  his  choice  by  his  own  judgment.  No 
body  knew  as  well  as  he  exactly  what  was  wanted. 
He  had  developed  in  his  mind  a  scheme  for  making 
the  new  world  that  was  to  emerge  from  the  waters 
better  in  every  respect  than  the  old  one. 

Mingled  with  such  familiar  creatures  as  sheep, 
cows,  dogs,  and  barn-yard  fowls,  were  animals  of 
the  past,  which  the  majority  of  the  onlookers  had  only 
read  about  or  seen  pictures  of,  or  perhaps,  in  a  few 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE       93 

cases,  heard  described  in  childhood,  by  grandfathers 
long  since  sleeping  in  their  graves.  * 

Cosmo  had  rapidly  collected  them  from  all  parts 
of  the  world,  but  as  they  arrived  in  small  consign 
ments,  and  were  carried  in  closed  vans,  very  few  per 
sons  had  any  idea  of  what  he  was  doing. 

The  greatest  sensation  was  produced  by  four  beau 
tiful  horses,  which  had  been  purchased  at  an  enormous 
price  from  an  English  duke,  who  never  would  have 
parted  with  them — for  they  were  almost  the  last  living 
representatives  of  the  equine  race  left  on  the  earth — 
if  financial  stress  had  not  compelled  the  sacrifice. 

These  splendid  animals  were  dapple  gray,  with 
long  white  tails,  and  flowing  manes  borne  proudly  on 
their  arching  necks,  and  as  they  were  led  at  the  head 
of  the  procession,  snorting  at  the  unwonted  scene 
about  them,  their  eyes  bright  with  excitement,  pranc 
ing  and  curvetting,  cries  of  admiration  and  rounds 
of  applause  broke  from  the  constantly  growing 
throngs  of  spectators. 

Those  who  had  only  known  the  horse  from  pic 
tures  and  sculptures  were  filled  with  astonishment  by 
its  living  beauty.  People  could  not  help  saying  to 
themselves : 

"  What  a  pity  that  the  honking  auto,  in  its  hundred 
forms  of  mechanical  ugliness,  should  have  driven 
these  beautiful  and  powerful  creatures  out  of  the 
world !  What  could  our  forefathers  have  been  think 
ing  of  ?" 


94  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

A  few  elephants,  collected  from  African  zoolog 
ical  gardens,  and  some  giraffes,  also  attracted  a  great 
deal  of  attention,  but  the  horses  were  the  favorites 
with  the  crowd. 

Cosmo  might  have  had  lions  and  tigers,  and  sim 
ilar  beasts,  which  had  been  preserved  in  larger  num 
bers  than  the  useful  horse,  but  when  Joseph  Smith 
suggested  their  inclusion  he  shook  his  head,  declaring 
that  it  was  better  that  they  should  perish.  As  far 
as  possible,  he  averred,  he  would  eliminate  all  car 
nivores. 

In  some  respects,  even  more  interesting  to  the  on 
lookers  than  the  animals  of  the  past,  were  the  ani 
mals  of  the  future  that  marched  in  the  procession. 
Few  of  them  had  ever  been  seen  outside  the  experi 
mental  stations  where  they  had  been  undergoing  the 
process  of  artificial  evolution. 

There  were  the  stately  white  Californian  cattle, 
without  horns,  but  of  gigantic  stature,  the  cows,  it  was 
said,  being  capable  of  producing  twenty  times  more 
milk  than  their  ancestral  species,  and  of  a  vastly  su 
perior  quality. 

There  were  the  Australian  rabbits,  as  large  as  New 
foundland  dogs,  though  short-legged,  and  furnishing 
food  of  the  most  exquisite  flavor;  and  the  Argentine 
sheep,  great  balls  of  snowy  wool,  moving  smartly 
along  on  legs  three  feet  in  length. 

The  greatest  astonishment  was  excited  by  the 
"  grand  astoria  terrapin,"  a  developed  species  of  dia- 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE        95 

mond-back  tortoise,  whose  exquisitely  sculptured  con 
vex  back,  lurching  awkwardly  as  it  crawled,  rose 
almost  three  feet  above  the  ground;  and  the  "new 
century  turkey,"  which  carried  its  beacon  head  and 
staring  eyes  as  high  as  a  tall  man's  hat. 

The  end  of  the  procession  was  formed  of  animals 
familiar  to  everybody,  and  among  them  were  cages 
of  monkeys  (concerning  whose  educational  develop 
ment  Cosmo  Versal  had  theories  of  his  own)  and  a 
large  variety  of  birds,  together  with  boxes  of  insect 
eggs  and  chrysalids. 

The  delight  of  the  boys  who  had  chased  after  the 
procession  culminated  when  the  animals  began  to  as 
cend  the  sloping  ways  into  the  ark. 

The  horses  shied  and  danced,  making  the  metallic 
flooring  resound  like  a  rattle  of  thunder;  the  ele 
phants  trumpeted;  the  sheep  baaed  and  crowded  them 
selves  into  inextricable  masses  against  the  guard-rails; 
the  huge  new  cattle  moved  lumberingly  up  the  slope, 
turning  their  big  white  heads  inquiringly  about;  the 
tall  turkeys  stretched  their  red  coral  necks  and  gobbled 
with  Brobdingnagian  voices;  and  the  great  terrapins 
were  ignominiously  attached  to  cables  and  drawn  up 
the  side  of  the  ark,  helplessly  waving  their  immense 
flappers  in  the  air. 

And  when  the  sensational  entry  was  finished,  the 
satisfied  crowd  turned  away,  laughing,  joking,  chat 
tering,  with  never  a  thought  that  it  was  anything  more 
than  the  most  amusing  exhibition  they  had  ever  seen ! 


96  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

But  when  they  got  back  in  the  city  streets  they  met 
a  flying  squadron  of  yelling  newsboys,  and  seizing 
the  papers  from  their  hands  read,  in  big  black  letters  : 

"AWFUL  FLOOD  IN  THE  MISSISSIPPI! 


Thousands  of  People  Drowned 


THE  STORM  COMING  THIS  WAY!" 

It  was  a  startling  commentary  on  the  recent  scene 
at  the  ark,  and  many  turned  pale  as  they  read. 

But  the  storm  did  not  come  in  the  way  expected. 
The  deluging  rains  appeared  to  be  confined  to  the 
Middle  West  and  the  Northwest,  while  at  New  York 
the  sky  simply  grew  thicker  and  seemed  to  squeeze  out 
moisture  in  the  form  of  watery  dust.  This  condition 
lasted  for  some  time,  and  then  came  what  everybody, 
even  the  most  skeptical,  had  been  secretly  dreading. 

The  ocean  began  to  rise! 

The  first  perception  of  this  startling  fact,  accord 
ing  to  a  newspaper  account,  came  in  a  very  strange, 
roundabout  way  to  a  man  living  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  vast  area  of  made  ground  where  the  great  city 
had  spread  over  what  was  formerly  the  Newark 
meadows  and  Newark  Bay. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  man,  who 
it  appears  was  a  policeman  off  duty,  was  awakened 
by  scurrying  sounds  in  the  house.  He  struck  a  light, 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE       97 

and  seeing  dark  forms  issuing  from  the  cellar,  went 
down  to  investigate.  The  ominous  gleam  of  water, 
reflecting  the  light  of  his  lamp,  told  him  that  the 
cellar  was  inundated  almost  to  the  top  of  the  walls. 

"Come  down  here,  Annie!"  he  shouted  to  his 
wife.  "  Sure  'tis  Coshmo  Versa-al  is  invadin'  the 
cellar  with  his  flood.  The  rats  are  lavin'  us." 

Seeing  that  the  slight  foundation  walls  were  crum 
bling,  he  hurried  his  family  into  the  street,  and  not 
too  soon,  for  within  ten  minutes  the  house  was  in 
ruins. 

Neighbors,  living  in  equally  frail  structures,  were 
awakened,  and  soon  other  undermined  houses  fell. 
Terror  spread  through  the  quarter,  and  gradually  half 
the  city  was  aroused. 

When  day  broke,  residents  along  the  water-front 
in  Manhattan  found  their  cellars  flooded,  and  South 
and  West  Streets  swimming  with  water,  which  was 
continually  rising.  It  was  noted  that  the  hour  was 
that  of  flood-tide,  but  nobody  had  ever  heard  of  a  tide 
so  high  as  this. 

Alarm  deepened  into  terror  when  the  time  for  the 
tide  to  ebb  arrived  and  there  was  no  ebbing.  On 
the  contrary,  the  water  continued  to  rise.  The  gov 
ernment  observer  at  the  Highlands  telephoned  that 
Sandy  Hook  was  submerged.  Soon  it  was  known  that 
Coney  Island,  Rockaway,  and  all  the  seaside  places 
along  the  south  shore  of  Long  Island  were  under 
water.  The  mighty  current  poured  in  through  the 


98  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Narrows  with  the  velocity  of  a  mill-race.  The  Hud 
son,  set  backward  on  its  course,  rushed  northward 
with  a  raging  bore  at  its  head  that  swelled  higher 
until  it  licked  the  feet  of  the  rock  chimneys  of  the 
Palisades. 

But  when  the  terror  inspired  by  this  sudden  in 
vasion  from  the  sea  was  at  its  height  there  came  un 
expected  relief.  The  water  began  to  fall  more  rapidly 
than  it  had  risen.  It  rushed  out  through  the  Nar 
rows  faster  than  it  had  rushed  in,  and  ships,  dragged 
from  their  anchorage  in  the  upper  harbor,  were  car 
ried  out  seaward,  some  being  stranded  on  the  sand 
banks  and  shoals  in  the  lower  bay. 

Now  again  houses  standing  on  made  ground,  whose 
foundations  had  been  undermined,  fell  with  a  crash, 
and  many  were  buried  in  the  ruins. 

Notwithstanding  the  immense  damage  and  loss  of 
life,  the  recession  of  the  waters  immediately  had  a 
reassuring  effect,  and  the  public,  in  general,  was  dis 
posed  to  be  comforted  by  the  explanation  of  the 
weather  officials,  who  declared  that  what  had  oc 
curred  was  nothing  more  than  an  unprecedentedly 
high  tide,  probably  resulting  from  some  unforeseen 
disturbance  out  at  sea. 

The  phenomenon  had  been  noted  all  along  the  At 
lantic  coast.  The  chief  forecaster  ventured  the  as 
sertion  that  a  volcanic  eruption  had  occurred  some 
where  on  the  line  from  Halifax  to  Bermuda.  He 
thought  that  the  probable  location  of  the  upheaval 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE       99 

had  been  at  Munn's  Reef,  about  halfway  between 
those  points,  and  the  more  he  discussed  his  theory 
the  readier  he  became  to  stake  his  reputation  on  its 
correctness,  for,  he  said,  it  was  impossible  that  any 
combination  of  the  effects  of  high  and  low  pressures 
could  have  created  such  a  surge  of  the  ocean,  while 
a  volcanic  wave,  combining  with  the  regular  oscilla 
tion  of  the  tide,  could  have  done  it  easily. 

But  Cosmo  Versal  smiled  at  this  explanation,  and 
said  in  reply: 

"  The  whole  Arctic  ice-cap  is  dissolved,  and  the 
condensation  of  the  nebula  is  at  hand.  But  there  is 
worse  behind.  When  the  wave  comes  back  it  will 
rise  higher." 

As  the  time  for  the  next  flood-tide  grew  near,  anx 
ious  eyes  were  on  the  watch  to  see  how  high  the  water 
would  go.  There  was  something  in  the  mere  manner 
of  its  approach  that  made  the  nerves  tingle. 

It  speeded  toward  the  beaches,  combing  into  rollers 
at  an  unwonted  distance  from  shore;  plunged  with 
savage  violence  upon  the  sands  of  the  shallows,  as  if 
it  would  annihilate  them;  and  then,  spreading  swiftly, 
ran  with  terrific  speed  up  the  strand,  seeming  to  de 
vour  everything  it  touched.  After  each  recoil  it 
sprang  higher  and  roared  louder  and  grew  blacker 
with  the  mud  that  it  had  ground  up  from  the  bottom. 
Miles  inland  the  ground  trembled  with  the  fast-re 
peated  shocks. 

Again  the  Hudson  was  hurled  backward  until  a 


ioo  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

huge  bore  of  water  burst  over  the  wharves  at  Albany. 
Every  foot  of  ground  in  New  York  less  than  twenty 
feet  above  the  mean  high  tide  level  was  inundated. 
The  destruction  was  enormous,  incalculable.  Ocean 
liners  moored  along  the  wharves  were,  in  some  cases, 
lifted  above  the  level  of  the  neighboring  streets,  and 
sent  crashing  into  the  buildings  along  the  water-front. 

Etherograms  told,  in  broken  sentences,  of  similar 
experiences  on  the  western  coasts  of  Europe,  and 
from  the  Pacific  came  the  news  of  the  flooding  of 
San  Francisco,  Los  Angeles,  Portland,  Tacoma,  Se 
attle,  and,  in  fact,  every  coast-lying  town.  On  the 
western  coast  of  South  America  the  incoming  waves 
broke  among  the  foothills  of  the  Andes. 

It  was  as  if  the  mighty  basins  of  the  world's  two 
greatest  oceans  were  being  rocked  to  and  fro,  send 
ing  the  waters  spinning  from  side  to  side. 

And  to  add  to  the  horror  of  the  situation,  every 
volcano  on  the  globe  seemed  to  burst  simultaneously 
into  activity,  probably  through  the  effects  of  the  in 
vasion  of  sea  water  into  the  subterranean  fire,  while 
the  strain  of  the  unwonted  weight  thrown  upon  the 
coasts  broke  open  the  tectonic  lines  of  weakness  in 
the  earth's  crust,  causing  the  most  terrible  earth 
quakes,  which  destroyed  much  that  the  water  could 
not  reach. 

From  Alaska  to  Patagonia,  from  Kamchatka 
through  Japan  to  the  East  Indies,  from  Mount  Hecla 
to  Vesuvius,  Etna,  and  Teneriffe,  the  raging  oceans 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE      101 

were  bordered  with  pouring  clouds  of  volcanic  smoke, 
hurled  upward  in  swift  succeeding  puffs,  as  if  every 
crater  had  become  the  stack  of  a  stupendous  steam- 
engine  driven  at  its  maddest  speed;  while  immense 
rivers  of  lava  flamed  down  the  mountain  flanks  and 
plunged  into  the  invading  waters  with  reverberated 
roarings,  hissings,  and  explosions  that  seemed  to  shake 
the  framework  of  the  globe. 

During  the  second  awful  shoreward  heave  of  the 
Atlantic  a  scene  occurred  off  New  York  Bay  that 
made  the  stoutest  nerves  quiver.  A  great  crowd  had 
collected  on  the  Highlands  of  the  Navesink  to  watch 
the  ingress  of  the  tidal  wave. 

Suddenly,  afar  off,  the  smoke  of  an  approaching 
ocean  liner  was  seen.  It  needed  but  a  glance  to  show 
that  she  was  struggling  with  tremendous  surges. 
Sometimes  she  sank  completely  out  of  sight;  then  she 
reappeared,  riding  high  on  the  waves.  Those  who 
had  glasses  recognized  her.  Word  ran  from  mouth 
to  mouth  that  it  was  the  great  Atlantis,  the  mightiest 
of  the  ocean  monarchs,  of  a  hundred  thousand  tons 
register,  coming  from  Europe,  and  bearing,  without 
question,  many  thousands  of  souls. 

She  was  flying  signals  of  distress,  and  filling  the 
ether  with  her  inarticulate  calls  for  help,  which  quav 
ered  into  every  radiograph  station  within  a  radius  of 
hundreds  of  miles. 

But,  at  the  same  time,  she  was  battling  nobly  for 
herself  and  for  the  lives  of  her  passengers  and  crew. 


102  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

From  her  main  peak  the  Stars  and  Stripes  streamed 
in  the  tearing  wind.  There  were  many  in  the  watch 
ing  throngs  who  personally  knew  her  commander, 
Captain  Basil  Brown,  and  who  felt  that  if  any  human 
being  could  bring  the  laboring  ship  through  safely, 
he  could.  Aid  from  land  was  not  to  be  thought  of 
for  a  moment. 

As  she  swiftly  drew  nearer,  hurled  onward  by  the 
resistless  surges  with  the  speed  of  an  express  train, 
the  captain  was  recognized  on  his  bridge,  balancing 
himself  amid  the  lurches  of  the  vessel;  and  even  at 
that  distance,  and  in  those  terrible  circumstances,  there 
was  something  in  his  bearing  perceptible  to  those  who 
breathlessly  watched  him,  through  powerful  glasses, 
which  spoke  of  perfect  self-command,  entire  absence 
of  fear,  and  iron  determination  to  save  his  ship  or 
die  with  her  under  his  feet. 

It  could  be  seen  that  he  was  issuing  orders  and 
watching  their  execution,  but  precisely  what  their  na 
ture  was,  of  course,  could  only  be  guessed.  His  sole 
hope  must  be  to  keep  the  vessel  from  being  cast 
ashore.  There  was  no  danger  from  the  shoals,  for 
they  were  by  this  time  deeply  covered  by  the  swelling 
of  the  sea. 

Slowly,  slowly,  with  a  terrific  straining  of  mechanic 
energies,  which  pressed  the  jaws  of  the  watchers  to 
gether  with  spasmodic  sympathy,  as  if  their  own 
nervous  power  were  cooperating  in  the  struggle,  the 
gallant  ship  bore  her  head  round  to  face  the  driving 


THE  WATERS  BEGIN  TO  RISE      103 

waves.  From  the  ten  huge,  red  stacks  columns  of 
inky  black  smoke  poured  out  as  the  stokers  crammed 
the  furnaces  beneath.  It  was  man  against  nature, 
human  nerve  and  mechanical  science  against  blind 
force. 

It  began  to  look  as  if  the  Atlantis  would  win  the 
battle.  She  was  now  fearfully  close  to  the  shore,  but 
her  bow  had  been  turned  into  the  very  eye  of  the  sea, 
and  one  could  almost  feel  the  tension  of  her  steel 
muscles  as  she  seemed  to  spring  to  the  encounter.  The 
billows  that  split  themselves  in  quick  succession  on 
her  sharp  stem  burst  into  shooting  geysers  three  hun 
dred  feet  high. 

The  hearts  of  the  spectators  almost  ceased  to  beat. 
Their  souls  were  wrapped  up  with  the  fate  of  the 
brave  ship.  They  forgot  the  terrors  of  their  own  situ 
ation,  the  peril  of  the  coming  flood,  and  saw  nothing 
but  the  agonized  struggle  before  their  eyes.  With  all 
their  inward  strength  they  prayed  against  the  ocean. 

Such  a  contest  could  not  last  long.  Suddenly,  as 
the  Atlantis  swerved  a  little  aside,  a  surge  that  tow 
ered  above  her  loftiest  deck  rushed  upon  her.  She 
was  lifted  like  a  cockleshell  upon  its  crest,  her  huge 
hull  spun  around,  and  the  next  minute,  with  a  crash 
that  resounded  above  the  roar  of  the  maddened  sea, 
she  was  dashed  in  pieces. 

At  the  very  last  moment  before  the  vessel  disap 
peared  in  the  whirling  breakers,  to  be  strewed  in 
broken  and  twisted  bits  of  battered  metal  upon  the 


io4  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

pounding  sands,  Captain  Basil  Brown  was  seen  on  the 
commander's  bridge. 

No  sooner  had  this  tragedy  passed  than  the 
pent-up  terror  broke  forth,  and  men  ran  for  their 
lives,  ran  for  their  homes,  ran  to  do  something — 
something,  but  what? — to  save  themselves  and  their 
dear  ones. 

For  now,  at  last,  they  believed! 


CHAPTER  VIII 

STORMING  THE   ARK 

f  I  VHERE  was  to  be  no  more  respite  now.     The 
A     time  of  warnings  was  past.     The  "  signs  "  had 
all  been  shown  to  a  skeptical  and  vacillating  world, 
and  at  last  the  fulfillment  was  at  hand. 

There  was  no  crying  of  "  extras  "  in  the  streets, 
for  men  had  something  more  pressing  to  think  of  than 
sending  and  reading  news  about  their  distresses  and 
those  of  their  fellow-men.  Many  of  the  newspapers 
ceased  publication;  every  business  place  was  aban 
doned;  there  was  no  thought  but  of  the  means  of 
escape. 

But  how  should  they  escape?  And  whither  should 
they  fly? 

The  lower  lying  streets  were  under  water.  The 
Atlantic  still  surged  back  and  forth  as  if  the  ocean 
itself  were  in  agony.  And  every  time  the  waves 
poured  in  they  rose  higher.  The  new  shores  of  the 
bay,  and  the  new  coasts  of  Long  Island  and  New 
Jersey,  receding  inward  hour  by  hour,  were  strewn 
with  the  wrecks  of  hundreds  of  vessel  of  all  kinds 
which  had  been  caught  by  the  surges  and  pitilessly 
hurled  to  destruction. 

105 


io6  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Even  if  men  did  not  yet  fully  believe  in  Cosmo 
VersaTs  theory  of  a  whelming  nebula,  they  were  ter 
rified  to  the  bottom  of  their  souls  by  the  conviction, 
which  nobody  could  resist,  that  the  vast  ice-fields  of 
the  north,  the  glaciers  of  Greenland,  the  icy  moun 
tains  of  Alaska,  had  melted  away  under  the  terrible 
downpour  of  heat,  and  were  swelling  the  oceans  over 
their  brims.  And  then  a  greater  fear  dropped  like  a 
blanket  upon  them.  Some  one  thought  of  the  antarc 
tic  ice. 

The  latest  dispatches  that  had  come,  before  the 
cessation  of  all  communication  to  the  newspapers,  had 
told  of  the  prevalence  of  stifling  heat  throughout  the 
southern  hemisphere,  and  of  the  vast  fleets  of  ant 
arctic  icebergs  that  filled  the  south  seas.  The  mighty 
deposits  of  ice,  towering  to  mountain  heights,  that 
stretched  a  thousand  miles  in  every  direction  around 
the  south  pole  were  melting  as  the  arctic  ice  had 
melted,  and,  when  the  water  thus  formed  was  added 
to  the  already  overflowing  seas,  to  what  elevation 
might  not  the  flood  attain! 

The  antarctic  ice  was  known  to  be  the  principal 
mass  of  frozen  water  on  the  globe.  The  frigid  cap 
of  the  north  was  nothing  in  comparison  with  it.  It 
had  long  been  believed  that  that  tremendous  accumu 
lation  unbalanced  the  globe  and  was  the  principal 
cause  of  the  unsteadiness  of  the  earth's  axis  of 
rotation. 

Every  fresh  exploration  had  only  served  to  mag- 


STORMING  THE  ARK  107 

nify  the  conception  of  the  incredible  vastness  of  that 
deposit.  The  skirts  of  the  Antarctic  Continent  had 
proved  to  be  rich  in  minerals  wherever  the  rocks  could 
find  a  place  to  penetrate  through  the  gigantic  burden 
of  ice,  and  the  principal  nations  had  quarreled  over 
the  possession  or  control  of  these  protruding  bits  of 
wealth-crammed  strata.  But  behind  the  bordering 
cliffs  of  ice,  rising  in  places  a  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  towering  farther  inland  so  high 
that  this  region  was,  in  mean  elevation,  the  loftiest 
on  the  planet,  nothing  but  ice  could  be  seen. 

And  now  that  ice  was  dissolving  and  flowing  into 
the  swollen  oceans,  adding  billions  of  tons  of  water 
every  minute ! 

Men  did  not  stop  to  calculate,  as  Cosmo  Versal  had 
done,  just  how  much  the  dissolution  of  all  the  ice  and 
permanent  snow  of  the  globe  would  add  to  the  vol 
ume  of  the  seas.  He  knew  that  it  would  be  but  a 
drop  in  the  bucket — although  sufficient  to  start  the 
flood — and  that  the  great  thing  to  be  feared  was  the 
condensation  of  the  aqueous  nebula,  already  begin 
ning  to  enwrap  the  planet  in  its  stifling  folds. 

The  public  could  understand  the  melting  ice,  al 
though  it  could  not  fully  understand  the  nebula;  it 
could  understand  the  swelling  sea,  and  the  raging 
rivers,  and  the  lakes  breaking  over  their  banks — and 
the  terror  and  despair  became  universal. 

But  what  should  they  do? 

Those  who  had  thought  of  building  arks  hurried 


io8  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

to  see  if  the  work  might  not  yet  be  completed,  but 
most  of  them  had  begun  their  foundations  on  low 
land,  which  was  already  surmerged. 

Then  a  cry  arose,  terrible  in  its  significance  and 
in  its  consequences — one  of  those  cries  that  the  van 
ished  but  unconquerable  god  Pan  occasionally  sets 
ringing,  nobody  can  tell  how : 

"  Cosmo's  ark !     Get  aboard !     Storm  it !  " 

And  thereupon  there  was  a  mighty  rush  for  Mine- 
ola.  Nobody  who  caught  the  infection  stopped  to 
reason.  Some  of  them  had  to  wade  through  water, 
which  in  places  was  knee-deep.  They  came  from 
various  directions,  and  united  in  a  yelling  mob.  They 
meant  to  carry  the  ark  with  a  rush.  They 
would  not  be  denied.  As  the  excited  throngs  neared 
the  great  vessel  they  saw  its  huge  form  rising  like 
a  mount  of  safety,  with  an  American  flag  flapping 
over  it,  and  they  broke  into  a  mighty  cheer.  On  they 
sped,  seized  with  the  unreason  of  a  crowd,  shouting, 
falling  over  one  another,  struggling,  fighting  for 
places,  men  dragging  their  wives  and  children  through 
the  awful  crush,  many  trampled  helpless  under  the 
myriads  of  struggling  feet — driving  the  last  traces  of 
sanity  from  one  another's  minds. 

The  foremost  ranks  presently  spied  Cosmo  Versal, 
watching  them  from  an  open  gangway  sixty  feet  above 
their  heads.  They  were  dismayed  at  finding  the  ap 
proaches  gone.  How  should  they  get  into  the  ark? 
How  could  they  climb  up  its  vertical  sides? 


STORMING  THE  ARK  109 

But  they  would  find  means.  They  would  re-erect 
the  approaches.  They  would  get  in  somehow. 

Cosmo  waved  them  off  with  frantic  gesticulations; 
then,  through  a  trumpet,  he  shouted  in  a  voice  audi 
ble  above  the  din: 

"  Keep  back,  for  your  lives !  " 

But  they  paid  no  attention  to  him;  they  rushed 
upon  the  raised  wall,  surrounding  the  field  where 
Cosmo  had  buried  his  mysterious  lines  of  wire.  Then 
the  meaning  of  that  enigmatical  work  was  flashed 
upon  them. 

As  the  first  to  arrive  laid  their  hands  upon  the  top 
of  the  low  wall  they  fell  as  if  shot  through  the  brain, 
tumbling  backward  on  those  behind.  Others  pushed 
wildly  on,  but  the  instant  they  touched  the  wall  they 
too  collapsed.  Wicked  blue-green  sparks  occasionally 
flashed  above  the  struggling  mass. 

The  explanation  was  clear.  Cosmo,  foreseeing  the 
probability  of  a  despairing  attack,  had  surrounded 
the  ark  with  an  impassable  electric  barrier.  The 
sound  of  a  whirring  dynamo  could  be  heard.  A  tre 
mendous  current  was  flowing  through  the  hidden  wires 
and  transmitting  its  paralyzing  energy  to  the  metallic 
crest  of  the  wall. 

Still  those  behind  pushed  on,  until  rank  after  rank 
had  sunk  helpless  at  the  impregnable  line  of  defense. 
They  were  not  killed — at  least,  not  many — but  the 
shock  was  so  paralyzing  that  those  who  had  experi 
enced  its  effects  made  no  further  attempts  to  cross 


i  io  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  barrier.  Many  lay  for  a  time  helpless  upon  the 
sodden  ground. 

Cosmo  and  Joseph  Smith,  who  had  now  appeared 
at  his  side,  continued  to  shout  warnings,  which  began 
to  be  heeded  when  the  nature  of  the  obstacle  became 
known.  The  rush  was  stopped,  and  the  multitude 
stood  at  bay,  dazed,  and  uncertain  what  to  do.  Then 
a  murmur  arose,  growing  louder  and  more  angry  and 
threatening,  until  suddenly  a  shot  was  heard  in  the 
midst  of  the  crowd,  and  Cosmo  was  seen  to  start 
backward,  while  Joseph  Smith  instantly  dodged  out 
of  sight. 

A  cry  arose: 

"Shoot  him!  That's  right!  Shoot  the  devil! 
He's  a  witch!  He's  drowning  the  world!  " 

They  meant  it — at  least,  half  of  them  did.  It 
was  the  logic  of  terror. 

Hundreds  of  shots  were  now  fired  from  all  quarters, 
and  heads  that  had  been  seen  flitting  behind  the  vari 
ous  portholes  instantly  disappeared.  The  bullets  rat 
tled  on  the  huge  sides  of  the  ark,  but  they  came  from 
small  pistols  and  had  not  force  enough  to  penetrate. 

Cosmo  Versal  alone  remained  in  sight.  Occasion 
ally  a  quick  motion  showed  that  even  his  nerves  were 
not  steady  enough  to  defy  the  whistling  of  the  bullets 
passing  close;  but  he  held  his  ground,  and  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  implore  attention. 

When  the  fusillade  ceased  for  a  moment  he  put  his 
trumpet  again  to  his  lips  and  shouted: 


STORMING  THE  ARK  in 

"  I  have  done  my  best  to  save  you,  but  you  would 
not  listen.  Although  I  know  that  you  must  perish,  I 
would  not  myself  harm  a  hair  of  your  heads.  Go 
back,  I  implore  you.  You  may  prolong  your  lives  if 
you  will  fly  to  the  highlands  and  the  mountains — 
but  here  you  cannot  enter.  The  ark  is  full." 

Another  volley  of  shots  was  the  only  answer.  One 
broad-shouldered  man  forced  his  way  to  the  front, 
took  his  stand  close  to  the  wall,  and  yelled  in  sten 
torian  tones  : 

"  Cosmo  Versal,  listen  to  me!  You  are  the  curse 
of  the  world!  You  have  brought  this  flood  upon 
us  with  your  damnable  incantations.  Your  infernal 
nebula  is  the  seal  of  Satan!  Here,  beast  and  devil, 
here  at  my  feet,  lies  my  only  son,  slain  by  your  hell 
ish  device.  By  the  Eternal  I  swear  you  shall  go  back 
to  the  pit!  " 

Instantly  a  pistol  flashed  in  the  speaker's  hand, 
and  five  shots  rang  in  quick  succession.  One  after 
another  they  whistled  by  Cosmo's  head  and  flattened 
themselves  upon  the  metal-work  behind.  Cosmo  Ver 
sal,  untouched,  folded  his  arms  and  looked  straight 
at  his  foe.  The  man,  staring  a  moment  confusedly, 
as  if  he  could  not  comprehend  his  failure,  threw  up 
his  arms  with  a  despairing  gesture,  and  fell  prone 
upon  the  ground. 

Then  yells  and  shots  once  more  broke  out.  Cosmo 
stepped  back,  and  a  great  metallic  door  swung  to, 
closing  the  gangway. 


ii2  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

But  three  minutes  later  the  door  opened,  and  the 
mob  saw  two  machine-guns  trained  upon  them. 

Once  more  Cosmo  appeared,  with  the  trumpet. 

"  If  you  fire  again,"  he  cried,  "  I  shall  sweep  you 
with  grapeshot.  I  have  told  you  how  you  can  pro 
long  your  lives.  Now  go !  " 

Not  another  shot  was  fired.  In  the  face  of  the 
guns,  whose  terrible  power  all  comprehended,  no 
one  dared  to  make  a  hostile  movement. 

But,  perhaps,  if  Cosmo  Versal  had  not  set  new 
thoughts  running  in  the  minds  of  the  assailants  by 
telling  them  there  was  temporary  safety  to  be  found 
by  seeking  high  ground,  even  the  terror  of  the  guns 
would  not  have  daunted  them.  Now  their  hopeful 
ness  was  reawakened,  and  many  began  to  ponder  upon 
his  words. 

u  He  says  we  must  perish,  and  yet  that  we  can  find 
safety  in  the  hills  and  mountains,"  said  one  man. 
"  I  believe  half  of  that  is  a  lie.  We  are  not  going 
to  be  drowned.  The  water  won't  rise  much  higher. 
The  flood  from  the  south  pole  that  they  talk  about 
must  be  here  by  this  time,  and  then  what's  left  to 
come?  " 

"  The  nebula,"  suggested  one. 

"  Aw,  the  nebula  be  hanged !  There's  no  such 
thing!  I  live  on  high  ground;  I'm  going  to  keep  a 
sharp  outlook,  and  if  the  water  begins  to  shut  off 
Manhattan  I'll  take  my  family  up  the  Hudson  to  the 
Highlands.  I  guess  old  Storm  King'll  keep  his  head 


STORMING  THE  ARK  113 

above.  That's  where  I  come  from — up  that  way.  I 
used  to  hear  people  say  when  I  was  a  boy  that  New 
York  was  bound  to  sink  some  day.  I  used  to  laugh 
at  that  then,  but  it  looks  mighty  like  it  now,  don't  it?  " 

"  Say,"  put  in  another,  "  what  did  the  fellow  mean 
by  saying  the  ark  was  full?  That's  funny,  ain't  it? 
Who's  he  got  inside,  anyway?  " 

"  Oh,  he  ain't  got  nobody,"  said  another. 

"  Yes,  he  has.  I  seen  a  goodish  lot  through  the 
portholes.  He's  got  somebody,  sure." 

"  A  lot  of  fools  like  himself,  most  likely." 

"  Well,  if  he's  a  fool,  and  they's  fools,  what  are 
we,  I'd  like  to  know  ?  What  did  you  come  here  for, 
hey?" 

It  was  a  puzzling  question,  and  brought  forth  only 
a  sheepish  laugh,  followed  by  the  remark: 

"  I  guess  we  fooled  ourselves  considerable.  We 
got  scared  too  easy." 

"  Maybe  you'll  feel  scared  again  when  you  see  the 
water  climbing  up  the  streets  in  New  York.  I  don't 
half  like  this  thing.  I'm  going  to  follow  his  advice 
and  light  out  for  higher  ground." 

Soon  conversation  of  this  sort  was  heard  on  all 
sides,  and  the  crowd  began  to  disperse,  only  those 
lingering  behind  who  had  friends  or  relatives  that 
had  been  struck  down  at  the  fatal  wall.  It  turned 
out  that  not  more  than  one  or  two  had  been  mortally 
shocked.  The  rest  were  able  to  limp  away,  and  many 
had  fully  recovered  within  five  minutes  after  suffer- 


n4  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ing  the  shock.  In  half  an  hour  not  a  dozen  persons 
were  in  sight  from  the  ark. 

But  when  the  retreating  throngs  drew  near  the 
shores  of  the  Sound,  and  the  East  River,  which  had 
expanded  into  a  true  arm  of  the  sea,  and  found  that 
there  had  been  a  perceptible  rise  since  they  set  out 
to  capture  the  ark,  they  began  to  shake  their  heads 
and  fear  once  more  entered  their  hearts. 

Thousands  then  and  there  resolved  that  they  would 
not  lose  another  instant  in  setting  out  for  high  land, 
up  the  Hudson,  in  Connecticut,  among  the  hills  of 
New  Jersey.  In  fact,  many  had  already  fled  thither, 
some  escaping  on  aeros;  and  hosts  would  now  have 
followed  but  for  a  marvelous  change  that  came  just 
before  nightfall  and  prevented  them. 

For  some  days  the  heavens  had  alternately  dark 
ened  and  lightened,  as  gushes  of  mist  came  and  went, 
but  there  had  been  no  actual  rain.  Now,  without 
warning,  a  steady  downpour  began.  Even  at  the  be 
ginning  it  would  have  been  called,  in  ordinary  times, 
a  veritable  cloudburst;  but  it  rapidly  grew  worse  and 
worse,  until  there  was  no  word  in  the  vernacular  or 
in  the  terminology  of  science  to  describe  it. 

It  seemed,  in  truth,  that  "  all  the  fountains  of  the 
great  deep  were  broken  up,  and  the  windows  of 
heaven  were  opened."  The  water  thundered  upon 
the  roofs,  and  poured  off  them  in  torrents.  In  five 
minutes  every  sloping  street  had  become  an  angry 
river,  and  every  level  place  a  swelling  lake.  People 


STORMING  THE  ARK  115 

caught  out  of  doors  were  almost  beaten  to  the  ground 
by  the  force  of  the  water  falling  upon  them  as  if  they 
had  been  standing  under  a  cataract. 

In  a  short  time  every  cellar  and  every  basement 
was  filled  to  overflowing,  and  in  the  avenues  the 
flood,  lapping  every  instant  higher  upon  the  door 
steps  and  the  walls,  rushed  by  with  frightful  roarings, 
bearing  in  its  awful  embrace  pieces  of  furniture, 
clothing,  bedding,  washed  out  of  ground-floor  rooms 
— and,  alas !  human  beings ;  some  motionless,  already 
mercifully  deprived  of  life,  but  others  struggling  and 
shouting  for  aid  which  could  not  be  given. 

So  terrible  a  spectacle  no  one  had  ever  looked  upon, 
no  one  had  ever  imagined.  Those  who  beheld  it 
were  too  stunned  to  cry  out,  too  overwhelmed  with 
terror  and  horror  to  utter  a  word.  They  stood,  or  fell 
into  chairs  or  upon  the  floor,  trembling  in  every  limb, 
with  staring  eyes  and  drooping  jaws,  passively  await 
ing  their  fate. 

As  night  came  on  there  was  no  light.  The  awful 
darkness  of  the  third  sign  once  more  settled  upon 
the  great  city,  but  now  it  was  not  the  terror  of  in 
definite  expectation  that  crushed  down  the  souls  of 
men  and  women — it  was  the  weight  of  doom  accom 
plished  ! 

There  was  no  longer  any  room  for  self-deception; 
every  quaking  heart  felt  now  that  the  nebula  had 
come.  Cosmo  Versdl  had  been  right! 

After  the  water  had  attained  a  certain  height  in 


n6  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  streets  and  yards,  depending  upon  the  ratio  be 
tween  the  amount  descending  from  the  sky  and  that 
which  could  find  its  way  to  the  rivers,  the  flood  for 
the  time  being  rose  no  higher.  The  actual  drowning 
of  New  York  could  not  happen  until  the  Hudson  and 
the  East  River  should  become  so  swollen  that  the 
water  would  stand  above  the  level  of  the  highest 
buildings,  and  turn  the  whole  region  round  about, 
as  far  as  the  Orange  hills,  the  Ramapo  Mountains, 
the  Highlands,  and  the  Housatonic  hills,  into  an  in 
land  sea. 

But  before  we  tell  that  story  we  must  return  to 
see  what  was  going  on  at  Mineola.  Cosmo  Versal, 
on  that  awful  night  when  New  York  first  knew  be 
yond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  or  the  gleam  of  a  hope, 
that  it  was  doomed,  presided  over  a  remarkable  as 
sembly  in  the  grand  saloon  of  his  ark. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    COMPANY  OF  THE   REPRIEVED 

TIJOW  did  it  happen  that  Cosmo  Versal  was  able 
to  inform  the  mob  when  it  assailed  the  ark  that 
he  had  no  room  left? 

Who  composed  his  ship's  company,  whence  had 
they  come,  and  how  had  they  managed  to  embark 
without  the  knowledge  of  the  public? 

The  explanation  is  quite  simple.  It  was  all  due 
to  the  tremendous  excitement  that  had  prevailed  ever 
since  the  seas  began  to  overflow.  In  the  universal 
confusion  people  had  to  think  of  other  things  nearer 
their  doors  than  the  operations  of  Cosmo  Versal. 
Since  the  embarkation  of  the  animals  the  crowds  had 
ceased  to  visit  the  field  at  Mineola,  and  it  was  only 
occasionally  that  even  a  reporter  was  sent  there.  Ac 
cordingly,  there  were  many  hours  every  day  when  no 
curiosity-seekers  were  in  sight  of  the  ark,  and  at 
night  the  neighborhood  was  deserted;  and  this  state 
of  affairs  continued  until  the  sudden  panic  which  led 
to  the  attack  that  has  been  described. 

Cosmo  Versal,  of  course,  had  every  reason  to  con 
ceal  the  fact  that  he  was  carefully  selecting  his  com 
pany.  It  was  a  dangerous  game  to  play,  and  he  knew 

117 


n8  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

it.  The  consequence  was  that  he  enjoined  secrecy 
upon  his  invited  guests,  and  conducted  them,  a  few 
at  a  time,  into  the  ark,  assuring  them  that  their  lives 
might  be  in  peril  if  they  were  recognized.  And  once 
under  the  domain  of  the  fear  which  led  them  to  ac 
cept  his  invitation,  they  were  no  less  anxious  than 
he  to  avoid  publicity.  Some  of  them  probably  de 
sired  to  avoid  recognition  through  dread  of  ridicule; 
for,  after  all,  the  flood  might  not  turn  out  to  be  so 
bad  as  Cosmo  had  predicted. 

So  it  happened  that  the  ark  was  filled,  little  by 
little,  and  the  public  knew  nothing  about  it. 

And  who  composed  the  throng  which,  while  the 
awful  downpour  roared  on  the  ellipsoidal  cover  of 
the  ark,  and  shook  it  to  its  center  and  while  New 
York,  a  few  miles  away,  saw  story  after  story  buried 
under  the  waters,  crowded  Cosmo's  brilliantly  lighted 
saloon,  and  raised  their  voices  to  a  high  pitch  in  order 
to  be  heard? 

Had  all  the  invitations  which  he  dictated  to  Jo 
seph  Smith  after  their  memorable  discussion,  and 
which  were  sent  forth  in  the  utmost  haste,  flying  to 
every  point  of  the  compass,  been  accepted,  and  was 
it  the  famous  leaders  of  science,  the  rulers  and 
crowned  heads  who  had  passed  his  critical  inspection 
that  were  now  knocking  elbows  under  the  great  dome 
of  levium?  Had  kings  and  queens  stolen  incognito 
under  the  shelter  of  the  ark,  and  magnates  of  the 
financial  world  hidden  themselves  there? 


THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED  119 

It  would  have  been  well  for  them  all  if  they  had 
been  there.  But,  in  fact,  many  of  those  to  whom  the 
invitations  had  gone  did  not  even  take  the  trouble 
to  thank  their  would-be  savior.  A  few,  however,  who 
did  not  come  in  person,  sent  responses.  Among  these 
was  the  President  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Sam 
son's  letter  was  brief  but  characteristic.  It  read : 

To  COSMO  VERBAL,  ESQ. 
Sir: 

The  President  directs  me  to  say  that  he  is  grateful  for  your 
invitation,  and  regrets  that  he  cannot  accept  it.  He  is  informed 
by  those  to  whose  official  advice  he  feels  bound  to  listen,  that  the 
recent  extraordinary  events  possess  no  such  significance  as  you 
attach  to  them. 

Respectfully,  FOR  THE  PRESIDENT, 

JAMES  JENKS,  Secretary. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  letter  was  written 
before  the  oceanic  overflow  began.  After  that,  pos 
sibly,  the  President  and  his  advisers  changed  their 
opinion.  But  then  communication  by  rail  was  cut 
off,  and  as  soon  as  the  downpour  from  the  sky  com 
menced  the  aero  express  lines  were  abandoned.  The 
airships  would  have  been  deluged,  and  blown  to  de 
struction  by  the  tremendous  gusts  which,  at  intervals, 
packed  the  rain-choked  air  itself  into  solid  billows  of 
water. 

None  of  the  rulers  of  the  old  world  responded, 
but  about  half  the  men  of  science,  and  representatives 
of  the  other  classes  that  Cosmo  had  set  down  on  his 


120  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

list,  were  wise  enough  to  accept,  and  they  hurried  to 
New  York  before  the  means  of  transit  by  land  and 
sea  were  destroyed. 

Among  these  were  Englishmen,  Frenchmen,  Ital 
ians,  Spaniards,  Germans,  Austrians,  Poles,  people 
from  the  Balkan  states,  Swedes,  Danes,  Russians,  and 
a  few  from  India,  China,  and  Japan.  The  clatter 
of  their  various  tongues  made  a  very  Babel  inside  the 
ark,  when  they  talked  to  one  another  in  groups,  but 
nearly  all  of  them  were  able  to  speak  English,  which, 
after  many  years  of  experiment,  had  been  adopted 
as  the  common  language  for  transacting  the  world's 
affairs. 

There  was  another  letter,  which  Cosmo  read  with 
real  regret,  although  hardly  with  surprise.  It  was 
from  Professor  Pludder.  Instead  of  expressing  grati 
tude  for  the  invitation,  as  the  President,  trained  in 
political  blandiloquence,  had  done,  Professor  Plud 
der  indulged  in  denunciation. 

"  You  are  insane,"  he  said.  "  You  do  not  know 
what  you  are  talking  about.  Your  letter  is  an  insult 
to  science.  These  inundations  "  (this,  too,  was  writ 
ten  before  the  sky  had  opened  its  flood-gates)  "  are 
perfectly  explicable  by  the  ordinary  laws  of  nature. 
Your  talk  of  a  nebula  is  so  ridiculous  that  it  deserves 
no  reply.  If  any  lunatic  accepts  your  absurd  invita 
tion,  and  goes  into  your  '  ark,'  he  will  find  himself  in 
Bedlam,  where  he  ought  to  be." 

"  I   guess  you   were   right,"   Cosmo   remarked  to 


THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED  121 

Joseph  Smith,  after  reading  this  outburst.  Pludder 
would  not  contribute  to  the  regeneration  of  mankind. 
We  are  better  off  without  him." 

But  Cosmo  Versal  was  mistaken  in  thinking  he 
had  heard  the  last  of  Abiel  Pludder.  The  latter  was 
destined  to  show  that  he  was  hardly  a  less  remarkable 
speciment  of  homo  sapiens  than  the  big-headed 
prophet  of  the  second  deluge  himself. 

As  soon  as  it  became  evident  that  there  would  be 
room  to  spare  in  the  ark,  Cosmo  set  at  work  to  fill  up 
the  list.  He  went  over  his  categories  once  more,  but 
now,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  time,  he  was  obliged 
to  confine  his  selections  to  persons  within  easy  reach. 
They  came,  nearly  all,  from  New  York,  or  its 
vicinity;  and  since  these  last  invitations  went  out  just 
on  the  eve  of  the  events  described  in  the  last  two 
chapters,  there  was  no  delay  in  the  acceptances,  and 
the  invitees  promptly  presented  themselves  in  person. 

Cosmo's  warning  to  them  of  the  necessity  of  se 
crecy  was  superfluous,  for  the  selfishness  of  human 
nature  never  had  a  better  illustration  than  they  af 
forded.  The  lucky  recipients  of  the  invitations  stole 
away  without  a  word  of  farewell,  circumspectly  dis 
appearing,  generally  at  night,  and  often  in  disguise; 
and  when  the  attack  occurred  on  the  ark,  there  were, 
behind  the  portholes,  many  anxious  eyes  cautiously 
staring  out  and  recognizing  familiar  faces  in  the 
mob,  while  the  owners  of  those  eyes  trembled  in  their 
shoes  lest  their  friends  might  succeed  in  forcing  an 


122  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

entrance.  After  all,  it  was  to  be  doubted  if  Cosmo 
Versal,  with  all  his  vigilance,  had  succeeded  in  col 
lecting  a  company  representing  anything  above  the 
average  quality  of  the  race. 

But  there  was  one  thing  that  did  great  credit  to 
his  heart.  When  he  found  that  he  had  room  unoc 
cupied,  before  adding  to  his  lists  he  consented  to 
take  more  than  two  children  in  a  family.  It  was  an 
immense  relief,  for — it  must  be  recorded — there  were 
some  who,  in  order  to  qualify  themselves,  had  actu 
ally  abandoned  members  of  their  own  families !  Let 
it  also  be  said,  however,  that  many,  when  they  found 
that  the  conditions  imposed  were  inexorable,  and  that 
they  could  only  save  themselves  by  leaving  behind 
others  as  dear  to  them  as  their  own  lives,  indignantly 
refused,  and  most  of  these  did  not  even  reply  to  the 
invitations. 

It  was  another  indication  of  Cosmo's  real  human 
ity,  as  well  as  of  his  shrewdness,  that,  as  far  as  they 
were  known,  and  could  be  reached,  the  persons  who 
had  thus  remained  true  to  the  best  instincts  of  nature 
were  the  first  to  receive  a  second  invitation,  with  an 
injunction  to  bring  their  entire  families.  So  it  hap 
pened  that,  after  all,  there  were  aged  men  and  women, 
as  well  as  children  in  arms,  mingled  in  that  remarka 
ble  assemblage. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  thirteen  places  had  been 
specially  reserved,  to  be  filled  by  Cosmo  VersaTs  per 
sonal  friends.  His  choice  of  these  revealed  another 


THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED  123 

pleasing  side  of  his  mind.  He  took  thirteen  men 
and  women  who  had  been,  in  one  capacity  or  another, 
employed  for  many  years  in  his  service.  Some  of 
them  were  old  family  servants  that  had  been  in  his 
father's  house. 

"  Every  one  of  these  persons,"  he  said  to  Joseph 
Smith,  "  is  worth  his  weight  in  gold.  Their  disin 
terested  fidelity  to  duty  is  a  type  of  character  that 
almost  became  extinct  generations  ago,  and  no  more 
valuable  leaven  could  be  introduced  into  the  society 
of  the  future.  Rather  than  leave  them,  I  would  stay 
behind  myself." 

Finally  there  was  the  crew.  This  comprised  one 
hundred  and  fifty  members,  all  of  them  chosen  from 
the  body  of  engineers,  mechanics,  and  workmen  who 
had  been  employed  in  the  construction  of  the  ark. 
Cosmo  himself  was,  of  course,  the  commander,  but 
he  had  for  his  lieutenants  skilled  mariners,  electrical 
and  mechanical  engineers,  and  men  whom  he  himself 
had  instructed  in  the  peculiar  duties  that  would  fall 
to  them  in  the  navigation  and  management  of  the 
ark,  every  detail  of  which  he  had  laboriously  worked 
out  with  a  foresight  that  seemed  all  but  superhuman. 

All  of  the  passengers  and  crew  were  aboard  when 
the  baffled  mob  retreated  from  Mineola,  and  some, 
when  that  danger  was  past,  wished  to  descend  to  the 
ground,  and  go  and  look  at  the  rising  waters,  which 
had  not  yet  invaded  the  neighborhood.  But  Cosmo 
absolutely  forbade  any  departures  from  the  ark.  The 


i24  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

condensation  of  the  nebula,  he  declared,  was  likely 
to  begin  any  minute,  and  the  downpour  would  be  so 
fierce  that  a  person  might  be  drowned  in  the  open 
field. 

It  came  even  sooner  than  he  had  anticipated,  with 
the  results  that  we  have  already  noted  in  New  York. 
At  first  many  thought  that  the  ark  itself  would  be 
destroyed,  so  dreadful  was  the  impact  of  the  falling 
water.  The  women  and  children,  and  some  of  the 
men,  were  seized  with  panic,  and  Cosmo  had  great 
difficulty  in  reassuring  them. 

"  The  flood  will  not  reach  us  for  several  hours 
yet,"  he  said.  '  The  level  of  the  water  must  rise  at 
least  a  hundred  feet  more  before  we  shall  be  afloat. 
Inside  here  we  are  perfectly  safe.  The  ark  is  ex 
ceedingly  strong  and  absolutely  tight.  You  have 
nothing  to  fear." 

Then  he  ordered  an  ingenious  sound-absorbing 
screen,  which  he  had  prepared,  to  be  drawn  over  the 
great  ceiling  of  the  saloon,  the  effect  of  which  was 
to  shut  out  the  awful  noise  of  the  water  roaring  upon 
the  roof  of  the  ark.  A  silence  that  was  at  first 
startling  by  contrast  to  the  preceding  din  prevailed 
as  soon  as  the  screen  was  in  place. 

Amid  a  hush  of  expectancy,  Cosmo  now  mounted 
a  dais  at  one  end  of  the  room.  Never  before  had 
the  intellectual  superiority  of  the  man  seemed  so  evi 
dent.  His  huge  "  dome  of  thought,"  surmounting  his 
slight  body,  dominated  the  assembly  like  the  front 


THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED  125 

of  Jove.  Chairs  near  him  were  occupied  by  Professor 
Jeremiah  Moses,  Professor  Abel  Able,  Professor 
Alexander  Jones,  and  the  two  "  speculative  geniuses  " 
whom  he  had  named  to  Joseph  Smith.  These  were 
Costake  Theriade,  of  Rumania,  a  tall,  dark,  high- 
browed  thinker,  who  was  engaged  in  devising  ways  to 
extract  and  recover  interatomic  energy;  and  Sir  Wil 
fred  Athelstone,  whose  specialty  was  bio-chemistry, 
and  who  was  said  to  have  produced  amazing  results 
in  artificial  parthenogenesis  and  the  production  of 
new  species. 

As  soon  as  attention  was  concentrated  upon  him, 
Cosmo  Versal  began  to  speak. 

"  My  friends,"  he  said,  "  the  world  around  us  is 
now  sinking  beneath  a  flood  that  will  not  be  arrested 
until  America,  Europe,  Africa,  Asia,  and  Australia 
have  disappeared.  We  stand  at  the  opening  of  a  new 
age.  You  alone  who  are  here  assembled,  and  your 
descendants,  will  constitute  the  population  of  the 
new  world  that  is  to  be. 

"  In  this  ark,  which  owes  its  existence  to  the  fore 
seeing  eye  of  science,  you  will  be  borne  in  safety  upon 
the  bosom  of  the  battling  waters,  and  we  will  disem 
bark  upon  the  first  promising  land  that  reappears,  and 
begin  the  plantation  and  development  of  a  new  society 
of  men  and  women,  which,  I  trust,  will  afford  a 
practical  demonstration  of  the  principles  of  eugenics. 

"  I  have,  as  far  as  possible,  and  as  far  as  the  pitiful 
blindness  of  mankind  permitted  me  to  go,  selected 


126  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

and  assembled  here  representatives  of  the  best  tend 
encies  of  humanity.  You  are  a  chosen  remnant,  and 
the  future  of  this  planet  depends  upon  you. 

"  I  have  been  fortunate  in  securing  the  companion 
ship  of  men  of  science  who  will  be  able  to  lead  and 
direct.  The  ark  is  fully  provisioned  for  a  period 
which  must  exceed  the  probable  duration  of  the  flood. 
I  have  taken  pains  not  to  overcrowd  it,  and  every 
preparation  has  been  made  for  any  contingencies 
which  may  arise. 

"  It  is  inexpressibly  sad  to  part  thus  with  the  mil 
lions  of  our  fellow-beings  who  would  not  heed  the 
warnings  that  were  lavished  upon  them;  but,  while 
our  hearts  may  be  rent  with  the  thought,  it  is  our 
duty  to  cast  off  the  burden  of  vain  regrets  and  con 
centrate  all  our  energies  upon  the  great  work 
before  us. 

"  I  salute,"  he  continued,  raising  his  voice  and  lift 
ing  a  glass  of  wine  from  the  little  table  before  him, 
"  the  world  of  the  past — may  its  faults  be  forgotten 
—and  the  world  of  the  future — may  it  rise  on  the 
wings  of  science  to  nobler  prospects !  " 

He  poured  out  the  wine  like  a  libation;  and  as  his 
voice  ceased  to  echo,  and  he  sank  into  his  seat,  an 
uncontrollable  wave  of  emotion  ran  over  the  assem 
bly.  Many  of  the  women  wept,  and  the  men  con 
versed  in  whispers.  After  a  considerable  interval, 
during  which  no  one  spoke  above  his  breath,  Pro 
fessor  Able  Abel  arose  and  said: 


THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED  127 

"  The  gratitude  which  we  owe  to  this  man  " — in 
dicating  Cosmo  Versal — "can  best  be  expressed,  not 
in  words,  but  by  acts.  He  has  led  us  thus  far;  he 
must  continue  to  lead  us  to  the  end.  We  were  blind, 
while  he  was  full  of  light.  It  will  become  us  here 
after  to  heed  well  whatever  he  may  say.  I  now  wish 
to  ask  if  he  can  foresee  where  upon  the  re-emerging 
planet  a  foothold  is  first  likely  to  be  obtained.  Where 
lies  our  land  of  promise?  " 

"  I  can  answer  that  question,"  Cosmo  replied, 
"  only  in  general  terms.  You  are  all  aware  that  the 
vast  table-land  of  Tibet  is  the  loftiest  region  upon 
the  globe.  In  its  western  part  it  lies  from  fourteen 
to  seventeen  or  eighteen  thousand  feet  above  the  ordi 
nary  level  of  the  sea.  Above  it  rise  the  greatest 
mountain  peaks  in  existence.  Here  the  first  consid 
erable  area  is  likely  to  be  uncovered.  It  is  upon  the 
Pamirs,  the  '  Roof  of  the  World,'  that  we  shall 
probably  make  our  landing." 

"  May  I  ask,"  said  Professor  Abel  Able,  "  in  what 
manner  you  expect  the  waters  of  the  flood  to  be  with 
drawn,  after  the  earth  is  completely  drowned?  " 

'  That,"  was  the  reply,  "  was  one  of  the  funda 
mental  questions  that  I  examined,  but  I  do  not  care 
to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  it  now.  I  may  simply 
say  that  it  is  not  only  upon  the  disappearance  of  the 
waters  that  our  hopes  depend,  but  upon  circumstances 
that  I  shall  endeavor  to  make  clear  hereafter.  The 
new  cradle  of  mankind  will  be  located  near  the  old 


128  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

one,  and  the  roses  of  the  Vale  of  Cashmere  will 
canopy  it." 

Cosmo  Versal's  words  made  a  profound  impression 
upon  his  hearers,  and  awoke  thoughts  that  carried 
their  minds  off  into  strange  reveries.  No  more  ques 
tions  were  asked,  and  gradually  the  assemblage  broke 
up  into  groups  of  interested  talkers. 

It  was  now  near  midnight.  Cosmo,  beckoning  Pro 
fessor  Abel  Able,  Professor  Alexander  Jones,  and 
Professor  Jeremiah  Moses  to  accompany  him,  made 
his  way  out  of  the  saloon,  and,  secretly  opening  one  of 
the  gangway  doors,  they  presently  stood,  sheltering 
themselves  from  the  pouring  rain,  in  a  position  which 
enabled  them  to  look  toward  New  York. 

Nothing,  of  course,  was  visible  through  the  down 
pour;  but  they  were  startled  at  hearing  fearful  cries 
issuing  out  of  the  darkness.  The  rural  parts  of  the 
city,  filled  with  gardens  and  villas,  lay  round  within 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  ark,  and  the  sound,  ac 
celerated  by  the  water-charged  atmosphere,  struck 
upon  their  ears  with  terrible  distinctness.  Sometimes, 
when  a  gust  of  wind  blew  the  rain  into  their  faces,  the 
sound  deepened  into  a  long,  despairing  wail,  which 
seemed  to  be  borne  from  afar  off,  mingled  with  the 
roar  of  the  descending  torrent — the  death-cry  of  the 
vast  metropolis ! 

"  Merciful  Heaven,  I  cannot  endure  this!  "  cried 
Professor  Moses. 

"  Go  to  my  cabin,"  Cosmo  yelled  in  his  ear,  "  and 


THE  COMPANY  OF  THE  REPRIEVED  129 

take  the  others  with  you.  I  will  join  you  there  in  a 
little  while.  I  wish  to  measure  the  rate  of  rise  of 
the  water." 

They  gladly  left  him,  and  fled  into  the  interior  of 
the  ark.  Cosmo  procured  an  electric  lamp;  and  the 
moment  its  light  streamed  out  he  perceived  that  the 
water  had  already  submerged  the  great  cradle  in 
which  the  ark  rested,  and  was  beginning  to  creep  up 
the  metallic  sides.  He  lowered  a  graduated  tape  into 
it,  provided  with  an  automatic  register.  In  a  few 
minutes  he  had  completed  his  task,  and  then  he  went 
to  rejoin  his  late  companions  in  his  cabin. 

"  In  about  an  hour,"  he  said  to  them,  "  we  shall 
be  afloat.  The  water  is  rising  at  the  rate  of  one- 
thirtieth  of  an  inch  per  second." 

"No  more  than  that?"  asked  Professor  Jones 
with  an  accent  of  surprise. 

"  That  is  quite  enough,"  Cosmo  replied.  "  One- 
thirtieth  of  an  inch  per  second  means  two  inches  in 
a  minute,  and  ten  feet  in  an  hour.  In  twenty-four 
hours  from  now  the  water  will  stand  two  hundred  and 
forty  feet  above  its  present  level,  and  then  only  the 
tallest  structures  in  New  York  will  lift  their  tops 
above  it,  if,  indeed,  they  are  not  long  before  over 
turned  by  undermining  or  the  force  of  the  waves." 

"  But  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  the  hills  and 
highlands  are  submerged, "suggested  Professor  Jones. 
"  Are  you  perfectly  sure  that  the  flood  will  cover 
them?" 


i3o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Cosmo  Versal  looked  at  his  interlocutor,  and 
slowly  shook  his  head. 

"  It  is  truly  a  disappointment  to  me,"  he  said  at 
length,  "  to  find  that,  even  now,  remnants  of  doubt 
cling  to  your  minds.  I  tell  you  that  the  nebula  is 
condensing  at  its  maximum  rate.  It  is  likely  to  con 
tinue  to  do  so  for  at  least  four  months.  In  four 
months,  at  the  rate  of  two  inches  per  minute,  the  level 
of  the  water  will  rise  28,800  feet.  There  is  only 
one  peak  in  the  world  which  is  surely  known  to  attain 
a  slightly  greater  height  than  that — Mount  Everest, 
in  the  Himalayas.  Even  in  a  single  month  the  rise 
will  amount  to  7,200  feet.  That  is  5  1 1  feet  higher 
than  the  loftiest  mountain  in  the  Appalachians.  In 
one  month,  then,  there  will  be  nothing  visible  of 
North  America  east  of  the  Rockies.  And  in  another 
month  they  will  have  gone  under." 

Not  another  word  was  said.  The  three  professors 
sat,  wide-eyed  and  open-mouthed,  staring  at  Cosmo 
Versal,  whose  bald  head  was  crowned  with  an  aureole 
by  the  electric  light  that  beamed  from  the  ceiling, 
while,  with  a  gold  pocket  pencil,  he  fell  to  figuring 
upon  a  sheet  of  paper. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   LAST   DAY   OF   NEW   YORK 

"IT 7HILE  Cosmo  Versal  was  calculating,  from  the 
measured  rise  of  the  water,  the  rate  of  con 
densation  of  the  nebula,  and  finding  that  it  added 
twenty-nine  trillion  two  hundred  and  ninety  billion 
tons  to  the  weight  of  the  earth  every  minute — a  com 
putation  that  seemed  to  give  him  great  mental  satis 
faction — the  metropolis  of  the  world,  whose  nucleus 
was  the  island  of  Manhattan,  and  every  other  town 
and  city  on  the  globe  that  lay  near  the  ordinary  level 
of  the  sea,  was  swiftly  sinking  beneath  the  swelling 
flood. 

Everywhere,  over  all  the  broad  surface  of  the 
planet,  a  wail  of  despair  arose  from  the  perishing 
millions,  beaten  down  by  the  water  that  poured  from 
the  unpitying  sky.  Even  on  the  highlands  the  situation 
was  little  better  than  in  the  valleys.  The  hills  seemed 
to  have  been  turned  into  the  crests  of  cataracts  from 
which  torrents  of  water  rushed  down  on  all  sides, 
stripping  the  soil  from  the  rocks,  and  sending  the 
stones  and  bowlders  roaring  and  leaping  into  the  low 
lands  and  the  gorges.  Farmhouses,  barns,  villas,  trees, 
animals,  human  beings — all  were  swept  away  together. 


i32  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Only  on  broad  elevated  plateaus,  where  higher 
points  rose  above  the  general  level,  were  a  few  of 
the  inhabitants  able  to  find  a  kind  of  refuge.  By 
seeking  these  high  places,  and  sheltering  themselves 
as  best  they  could  among  immovable  rocks,  they  suc 
ceeded,  at  least,  in  delaying  their  fate.  Notwith 
standing  the  fact  that  the  atmosphere  was  filled  with 
falling  water,  they  could  yet  breathe,  if  they  kept  the 
rain  from  striking  directly  in  their  faces.  It  was 
owing  to  this  circumstance,  and  to  some  extraordi 
nary  occurrences  which  we  shall  have  to  relate,  that 
the  fate  of  the  human  race  was  not  precisely  that 
which  Cosmo  Versal  had  predicted. 

We  quitted  the  scene  in  New  York  when  the 
shadow  of  night  had  just  fallen,  and  turned  the 
gloom  of  the  watery  atmosphere  into  impenetrable 
darkness.  The  events  of  that  dreadful  night  we  shall 
not  attempt  to  depict.  When  the  hours  of  daylight 
returned,  and  the  sun  should  have  brightened  over 
the  doomed  city,  only  a  faint,  phosphorescent  lumi 
nosity  filled  the  sky.  It  was  just  sufficient  to  render 
objects  dimly  visible.  If  the  enclosing  nebula  had 
remained  in  a  cloud-like  state  it  would  have  cut  off 
all  light,  but  having  condensed  into  raindrops,  which 
streamed  down  in  parallel  lines,  except  when  sudden 
blasts  of  wind  swept  them  into  a  confused  mass,  the 
sunlight  was  able  to  penetrate  through  the  interstices, 
aided  by  the  transparency  of  the  water,  and  so  a  slight 
but  variable  illumination  was  produced. 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK      133 

In  this  unearthly  light  many  tall  structures  of  the 
metropolis,  which  had  as  yet  escaped  the  effects  of 
undermining  by  the  rushing  torrents  in  the  streets, 
towered  dimly  toward  the  sky,  shedding  streams  of 
water  from  every  cornice.  Most  of  the  buildings  of 
only  six  or  eight  stories  had  already  been  submerged, 
with  the  exception  of  those  that  stood  on  the  high 
grounds  in  the  upper  part  of  the  island,  and  about 
bpuyten  Duyvil. 

In  the  towers  and  upper  stories  of  the  lofty  build 
ings  still  standing  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  crowds  of 
unfortunates  assembled,  gazing  with  horror  at  the 
spectacles  around  them,  and  wringing  their  hands  in 
helpless  despair.  When  the  light  brightened  they 
could  see  below  them  the  angry  water,  creeping  every 
instant  closer  to  their  places  of  refuge,  beaten  into 
foam  by  the  terrible  downpour,  and  sometimes,  moved 
by  a  mysterious  impulse,  rising  in  sweeping  waves 
which  threatened  to  carry  everything  before  them. 

Every  few  minutes  one  of  the  great  structures 
would  sway,  crack,  crumble,  and  go  down  into  the 
seething  flood,  the  cries  of  the  lost  souls  being  swal 
lowed  up  in  the  thunder  of  the  fall.  And  when  this 
occurred  within  sight  of  neighboring  towers  yet  in 
tact,  men  and  women  could  be  seen,  some  with  chil 
dren  in  their  arms,  madly  throwing  themselves  from 
windows  and  ledges,  seeking  quick  death  now  that 
hope  was  no  more ! 

Strange  and  terrible  scenes  were  enacted  in  the 


134  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

neighborhood  of  what  had  been  the  water-fronts. 
Most  of  the  vessels  moored  there  had  been  virtually 
wrecked  by  the  earlier  invasion  of  the  sea.  Some  had 
been  driven  upon  the  shore,  others  had  careened  and 
been  swamped  at  their  wharves.  But  a  few  had  suc 
ceeded  in  cutting  loose  in  time  to  get  fairly  afloat. 
Some  tried  to  go  out  to  sea,  but  were  wrecked  by 
running  against  obstacles,  or  by  being  swept  over  the 
Jersey  flats.  Some  met  their  end  by  crashing  into  the 
submerged  pedestal  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty.  Others 
steered  up  the  course  of  the  Hudson  River,  but  that 
had  become  a  narrow  sea,  filled  with  floating  and 
tossing  debris  of  every  sort,  and  all  landmarks  being 
invisible,  the  luckless  navigators  lost  their  way,  and 
perished,  either  through  collisions  with  other  vessels, 
or  by  driving  upon  a  rocky  shore. 

The  fate  of  the  gigantic  building  containing  the 
offices  of  the  municipal  government,  which  stood  near 
the  ancient  City  Hall,  and  which  had  been  the  cul 
minating  achievement  of  the  famous  epoch  of  "  sky 
scrapers,"  was  a  thing  so  singular,  and  at  the  same 
time  dramatic,  that  in  a  narrative  dealing  with  less 
extraordinary  events  than  we  are  obliged  to  record  it 
would  appear  altogether  incredible. 

With  its  twoscore  lofty  stories,  and  its  massive  base, 
this  wonderful  structure  rose  above  the  lower  quarter 
of  the  city,  and  dominated  it,  like  a  veritable  Tower 
of  Babel,  made  to  defy  the  flood.  Many  thousands 
of  people  evidently  regarded  it  in  that  very  light, 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK    135 

and  they  had  fled  from  all  quarters,  as  soon  as  the 
great  downpour  began,  to  find  refuge  within  its  moun 
tainous  flanks.  There  were  men — clerks,  merchants, 
brokers  from  the  downtown  offices — and  women  and 
children  from  neighboring  tenements. 

By  good  chance,  but  a  few  weeks  before,  this  build 
ing  had  been  fitted  with  a  newly  invented  system  of 
lighting,  by  which  each  story  was  supplied  with  elec 
tricity  from  a  small  dynamo  of  its  own,  and  so  it  hap 
pened  that  now  the  lamps  within  were  all  aglow, 
lightening  the  people's  hearts  a  little  with  their  cheer 
ing  radiance. 

Up  and  up  they  climbed,  the  water  ever  following 
at  their  heels,  from  floor  to  floor,  until  ten  of  the 
great  stages  were  submerged.  But  there  were  more 
than  twice  as  many  stages  yet  above,  and  they  counted 
them  with  unexpiring  hope,  telling  one  another,  with 
the  assurance  of  desperation,  that  long  before  the 
flood  could  attain  so  stupendous  an  altitude  the  rain 
would  surely  cease,  and  the  danger,  as  far  as  they 
were  concerned,  would  pass  away. 

"See!  See!"  cries  one.  "It  is  stopping!  It  is 
coming  no  higher!  I've  been  watching  that  step,  and 
the  water  has  stopped !  It  hasn't  risen  for  ten  min 
utes!" 

"  Hurrah  !  Hurrah !  "  yells  the  crowd  behind  and 
above.  And  the  glad  cry  is  taken  up  and  reverberated 
from  story  to  story  until  it  bursts  wildly  out  into  the 
rain-choked  air  at  the  very  summit. 


136  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Hurrah !  Hurrah !  We  are  saved !  The  flood 
has  stopped!  " 

Men  madly  embrace  each  other.  Women  burst 
into  tears  and  hug  their  children  to  their  breasts,  filled 
with  a  joy  and  thankfulness  that  can  find  no  ex 
pression  in  words. 

"  You  are  wrong,"  says  another  man,  crouching 
beside  him  who  first  spoke.  "  It  has  not  stopped — 
it  is  still  rising." 

"  What!  I  tell  you  it  has  stopped,"  snaps  the 
other.  "  Look  at  that  step  I  It  stopped  right  below 
it." 

"  You've  been  watching  the  wrong  step.  It's 
rising!  " 

"  You  fool !  Shut  your  mouth !  I  say  it  has 
stopped." 

"  No,  it  has  not." 

"It  has!    It  has!" 

"  Look  at  that  step,  then !  See  the  water  just  now 
coming  over  it." 

The  obstinate  optimist  stares  a  moment,  turns 
pale,  and  then,  with  an  oath,  strikes  his  more  clear 
headed  neighbor  in  the  face !  And  the  excited  crowd 
behind,  with  the  blind  instinctive  feeling  that,  some 
how,  he  has  robbed  them  of  the  hope  which  was  but 
now  as  the  breath  of  life  to  them,  strike  him  and  curse 
him,  too. 

But  he  had  seen  only  too  clearly. 

With  the  steady  march  of  fate — two  inches  a  min- 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK    137 

ute,  as  Cosmo  Versal  had  accurately  measured  it — 
the  water  still  advances  and  climbs  upward. 

In  a  little  while  they  were  driven  to  another  story, 
and  then  to  another.  But  hope  would  not  down. 
They  could  not  believe  that  the  glad  news,  which 
had  so  recently  filled  them  with  joy,  was  altogether 
false.  The  water  must  have  stopped  rising  once;  it 
had  been  seen.  Then,  it  would  surely  stop  again,  stop 
to  rise  no  more. 

Poor  deluded  creatures!  With  the  love  of  life 
so  strong  within  them,  they  could  not  picture,  in  their 
affrighted  minds,  the  terrible  consummation  to  which 
they  were  being  slowly  driven,  when,  jammed  into 
the  narrow  chambers  at  the  very  top  of  the  mighty 
structure,  their  remorseless  enemy  would  seize  them 
at  last. 

But  they  were  nearer  the  end  than  they  could  have 
imagined  even  if  they  had  accepted  and  coolly  rea 
soned  upon  the  facts  that  were  so  plain  before  them. 
And,  after  all,  it  was  not  to  come  upon  them  only 
after  they  had  fought  their  way  to  the  highest  loft 
and  into  the  last  corner. 

A  link  of  this  strange  chain  of  fatal  events  now 
carries  us  to  the  spot  where  the  United  States  Navy 
Yard  in  Brooklyn  once  existed.  That  place  was  sunk 
deep  beneath  the  waters.  All  of  the  cruisers,  battle 
ships,  and  other  vessels  that  had  been  at  anchor  or 
at  moorings  there  had  gone  under.  One  only,  the 
boast  of  the  American  navy,  the  unconquerable  Uncle 


138  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Sam,  which,  in  the  last  great  war  that  the  world  had 
known,  had  borne  the  starry  flag  to  victories  whose 
names  broke  men's  voices  and  filled  their  eyes  with 
tears  of  pride,  had  escaped,  through  the  incompara 
ble  seamanship  of  Captain  Robert  Decatur,  who  had 
been  her  commander  for  thirty  years. 

But  though  the  Uncle  Sam  managed  to  float  upon 
the  rising  flood,  she  was  unable  to  get  away  because 
of  the  obstructions  lodged  about  the  great  bridges 
that  spanned  the  East  River.  A  curious  eddy  that 
the  raging  currents  formed  over  what  was  once  the 
widest  part  of  that  stream  kept  her  revolving  round 
and  round,  never  departing  far  in  any  direction,  and, 
with  majestic  strength,  riding  down  or  brushing  aside 
the  floating  timbers,  wooden  houses,  and  other  wreck 
age  that  pounded  furiously  against  her  mighty  steel 
sides. 

Just  at  the  time  when  the  waters  had  mounted  to 
the  eighteenth  story  of  the  beleaguered  Municipal 
Building,  a  sudden  change  occurred  in  these  currents. 
They  swept  westward  with  resistless  force,  and  the 
Uncle  Sam  was  carried  directly  over  the  drowned  city. 
First  she  encountered  the  cables  of  the  Manhattan 
Bridge,  striking  them  near  the  western  tower,  and, 
swinging  round,  wrenched  the  tower  itself  from  its 
foundations  and  hurled  it  beneath  the  waters. 

Then  she  rushed  on,  riding  with  the  turbid  flood 
high  above  the  buried  roofs,  finding  no  other  obstruc 
tion  in  her  way  until  she  approached  the  Municipal 


THE   GREAT    BATTLESH11'    .    .    .    CRASHED,    1'ROW    ON,    INTO 
THE    STEEL-RIBBED    WALLS  " 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK     139 

Building,  which  was  stoutly  resisting  the  push  of  the 
waves. 

Those  who  were  near  the  windows  and  on  the 
balconies,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  building,  saw  the 
great  battleship  coming  out  of  the  gray  gloom  like 
some  diluvian  monster,  and  before  they  could  com 
prehend  what  it  was,  it  crashed,  prow  on,  into  the 
steel-ribbed  walls,  driving  them  in  as  if  they  had 
been  the  armored  sides  of  an  enemy. 

So  tremendous  was  the  momentum  of  the  striking 
mass  that  the  huge  vessel  passed,  like  a  projectile, 
through  walls  and  floors  and  partitions.  But  as  she 
emerged  in  the  central  court  the  whole  vast  structure 
came  thundering  down  upon  her,  and  ship  and  build 
ing  together  sank  beneath  the  boiling  waves. 

But  out  of  the  awful  tangle  of  steel  girders,  that 
whipped  the  air  and  the  water  as  if  some  terrible 
spidery  life  yet  clung  to  them,  by  one  of  those  mira 
cles  of  chance  which  defy  all  the  laws  of  probability 
and  reason,  a  small  boat  of  levium,  that  had  belonged 
to  the  Uncle  Sam,  was  cast  forth,  and  floated  away, 
half  submerged  but  unsinkable;  and  clinging  to  its 
thwarts,  struggling  for  breath,  insane  with  terror, 
were  two  men^  the  sole  survivors  of  all  those  thou 
sands. 

One  of  them  was  a  seaman  who  had  taken  refuge, 
with  a  crowd  of  comrades,  in  the  boat  before  the 
battleship  rushed  down  upon  the  building.  All  of  his 
comrades  had  been  hurled  out  and  lost  when  the  blow 


1 40  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

came,  while  his  present  companion  was  swept  in  and 
lodged  against  the  thwarts.  And  so  those  two  waifs 
drove  off  in  the  raging  waves.  Both  of  them  were 
bleeding  from  many  wounds,  but  they  had  no  fatal 
hurts. 

The  boat,  though  filled  with  water,  was  so  light 
that  it  could  not  sink.  Moreover,  it  was  ballasted, 
and  amid  all  its  wild  gyrations  it  kept  right  side  up. 
Even  the  ceaseless  downpour  from  the  sky  could  not 
drive  it  beneath  the  waves. 

After  a  while  the  currents  that  had  been  setting 
westward  changed  their  direction,  and  the  boat  was 
driven  toward  the  north.  It  swept  on  past  toppling 
skyscrapers  until  it  was  over  the  place  where  Madi 
son  Square  once  spread  its  lawns,  looked  down  upon 
by  gigantic  structures,  most  of  which  had  now  either 
crumbled  and  disappeared  or  were  swaying  to  their 
fall.  Here  there  was  an  eddy,  and  the  boat  turned 
round  and  round  amid  floating  debris  until  two  other 
draggled  creatures,  who  had  been  clinging  to  floating 
objects,  succeeded  by  desperate  efforts  in  pulling  them 
selves  into  it.  Others  tried  but  failed,  and  no  one  lent 
a  helping  hand.  Those  who  were  already  in  the  boat 
neither  opposed  nor  aided  the  efforts  of  those  who 
battled  to  enter  it.  No  words  were  heard  in  the  fear 
ful  uproar — only  inarticulate  cries. 

Suddenly  the  current  changed  again,  and  the  boat, 
with  its  dazed  occupants,  was  hurried  off  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Hudson.  Night  was  now  beginning  once 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK     141 

more  to  drop  an  obscuring  curtain  over  the  scene,  and 
under  that  curtain  the  last  throes  of  drowning  New 
York  were  hidden.  When  the  sun  again  faintly  il 
luminated  the  western  hemisphere  the  whole  Atlantic 
seaboard  was  buried  under  the  sea. 

As  the  water  rose  higher,  Cosmo  VersaTs  Ark  at 
last  left  its  cradle,  and  cumbrously  floated  off,  mov 
ing  first  eastward,  then  turning  in  the  direction  of 
Brooklyn  and  Manhattan.  Cosmo  had  his  engines 
in  operation,  but  their  full  power  was  not  developed 
as  soon  as  he  had  expected,  and  the  great  vessel 
drifted  at  the  will  of  the  currents  and  the  wind,  the 
latter  coming  now  from  one  side  and  now  from  an 
other,  rising  at  times  to  hurricane  strength  and  then 
dying  away  until  only  a  spanking  breeze  swept  the 
ever-falling  rain  into  swishing  sheets.  Occasionally 
the  wind  failed  entirely,  and  for  many  minutes  at  a 
time  the  water  fell  in  vertical  streams. 

At  length  the  motive  power  of  the  Ark  was  de 
veloped,  and  it  began  to  obey  its  helm.  From  the 
shelter  of  a  "  captain's  bridge,"  constructed  at  the 
forward  end  of  the  huge  levium  dome  that  covered 
the  vessel,  Cosmo  Versal,  with  Captain  Arms,  a  lib 
erally  bewhiskered,  veteran  navigator  in  whose  skill 
he  confided,  peered  over  the  interminable  waste  of 
waters.  There  was  nothing  in  sight  except  floating 
objects  that  had  welled  up  from  the  drowned  city 
and  the  surrounding  villages.  Here  and  there  the 


142  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

body  of  an  animal  or  a  human  being  was  seen  in  the 
tossing  waves,  and  Cosmo  Versal  sadly  shook  his 
head  as  he  pointed  them  out,  but  the  stout  mariner 
at  his  side  chewed  his  tobacco,  and  paid  attention  only 
to  his  duties,  shouting  orders  from  time  to  time 
through  a  speaking-tube,  or  touching  an  electric 
button. 

Cosmo  Versal  brought  a  rain-gage  and  again  and 
again  allowed  it  to  fill  itself.  The  story  was  always 
the  same — two  inches  per  minute,  ten  feet  per  hour, 
the  water  mounted. 

The  nebula  had  settled  down  to  regular  work,  and, 
if  Cosmo's  calculations  were  sound,  there  would  be 
no  intermission  for  four  months. 

After  the  power  of  the  propellers  had  been  devel 
oped  the  Ark  was  steered  southeastward.  Its  prog 
ress  was  very  slow.  In  the  course  of  eight  hours  it 
had  not  gone  more  than  fifty  miles.  The  night  came 
on,  and  the  speed  was  reduced  until  there  was  only  suf 
ficient  way  to  insure  the  command  of  the  vessel's 
movements.  Powerful  searchlights  were  employed  as 
long  as  the  stygian  darkness  continued. 

With  the  return  of  the  pallid  light,  at  what  should 
have  been  daybreak,  Cosmo  and  his  navigator  were 
again  at  their  post.  In  fact,  the  former  had  not  slept 
at  all,  keeping  watch  through  the  long  hours,  with 
Captain  Arms  within  easy  call. 

As  the  light  became  stronger,  Cosmo  said  to  the 
captain : 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  NEW  YORK     143 

"  Steer  toward  New  York.  I  wish  to  see  if  the 
last  of  the  tall  buildings  on  the  upper  heights  have 
gone  under." 

"  It  will  be  very  dangerous  to  go  that  way,"  ob 
jected  Captain  Arms.  '  There  are  no  landmarks, 
and  we  may  strike  a  snag." 

"  Not  if  we  are  careful,"  replied  Cosmo.  "  All 
but  the  highest  ground  is  now  buried  very  deep." 

"  It  is  taking  a  fool's  risk,"  growled  Captain  Arms, 
through  his  brush,  but  nevertheless  he  obeyed. 

It  was  true  that  they  had  nothing  to  go  by.  The 
air  was  too  thick  with  water,  and  the  light  too  feeble 
for  them  to  be  able  to  lay  their  course  by  sighting 
the  distant  hills  of  New  Jersey  which  yet  remained 
above  the  leVel  of  the  flood.  Still,  by  a  kind  of 
seaman's  instinct,  Captain  Arms  made  his  way,  until 
he  felt  that  he  ought  to  venture  no  farther.  He  had 
just  turned  to  Cosmo  Versal  with  the  intention  of 
voicing  his  protest,  when  the  Ark  careened  slightly, 
shivered  from  stem  to  stern,  and  then  began  a  bump 
ing  movement  that  nearly  threw  the  two  men  from 
their  feet. 

'We  are  aground!"  cried  the  captain,  and  in 
stantly  turned  a  knob  that  set  in  motion  automatic 
machinery  which  cut  off  the  engines  from  the  pro 
pellers,  and  at  the  same  time  slowed  down  the  engines 
themselves. 


CHAPTER  XI 

"  A   BILLION   FOR   A    SHARE  " 

Ark  had  lodged  on  the  loftiest  part  of  the 
Palisades.  It  was  only  after  long  and  careful 
study  of  their  position,  rendered  possible  by  occa 
sional  glimpses  of  the  Orange  Hills  and  high  points 
further  up  the  course  of  the  Hudson,  that  Cosmo 
Versal  and  Captain  Arms  were  able  to  reach  that 
conclusion.  Where  New  York  had  stood  nothing 
was  visible  but  an  expanse  of  turbid  and  rushing 
water. 

But  suppose  the  hard  trap  rocks  had  penetrated 
the  bottom  of  the  Ark !  It  was  a  contingency  too 
terrible  to  be  thought  of.  Yet  the  facts  must  be 
ascertained  at  once. 

Cosmo,  calling  Joseph  Smith,  and  commanding 
him  to  go  among  the  frightened  passengers  and  as 
sure  them,  in  his  name,  that  there  was  no  danger, 
hurried,  with  the  captain  and  a  few  trusty  men,  into 
the  bowels  of  the  vessel.  They  thoroughly  sounded 
the  bottom  plates.  No  aperture  and  no  indentation 
was  to  be  found. 

But,  then,  the  bottom  was  double,  and  the  outer 
plates  might  have  been  perforated.  If  this  had  hap- 

144 


"  A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE  "        145 

pened  the  fact  would  reveal  itself  through  the  leakage 
of  water  into  the  intervening  space.  To  ascertain  if 
that  had  occurred  it  was  necessary  to  unscrew  the 
covers  of  some  of  the  manholes  in  the  inner  skin  of 
levium. 

It  was  an  anxious  moment  when  they  cautiously 
removed  one  of  these  covers.  At  the  last  turns  of 
the  screw  the  workman  who  handled  it  instinctively 
turned  his  head  aside,  and  made  ready  for  a  spring, 
more  than  half  expecting  that  the  cover  would  be 
driven  from  his  hands,  and  a  stream  of  water  would 
burst  in. 

But  the  cover  remained  in  place  after  it  was  com 
pletely  loosened,  and  until  it  had  been  lifted  off.  A 
sigh  of  relief  broke  from  every  breast.  No  water 
was  visible. 

"  Climb  in  there,  and  explore  the  bottom,"  Cosmo 
commanded. 

There  was  a  space  of  eighteen  inches  between  the 
two  bottoms,  which  were  connected  and  braced  by 
the  curved  ribs  of  the  hull.  A  man  immediately  dis 
appeared  in  the  opening  and  began  the  exploration. 
Cosmo  ordered  the  removal  of  other  covers  at  various 
points,  and  the  exploration  was  extended  over  the 
whole  bottom.  He  himself  passed  through  one  of 
the  manholes  and  aided  in  the  work. 

At  last  it  was  determined,  beyond  any  doubt,  that 
even  the  outer  skin  was  uninjured.  Not  so  much  as 
a  dent  could  be  found  in  it. 


146  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  By  the  favor  of  Providence,"  said  Cosmo  Versal, 
as  his  great  head  emerged  from  a  manhole,  "  the  Ark 
has  touched  upon  a  place  where  the  rocks  are  covered 
with  soil,  and  no  harm  has  come  to  us.  In  a  very 
short  time  the  rising  water  will  lift  us  off." 

"  And,  with  my  consent,  you'll  do  no  more  navi 
gating  over  hills  and  mountains,"  grumbled  Captain 
Arms.  "  The  open  sea  for  the  sailor." 

The  covers  were  carefully  replaced,  and  the  party, 
in  happier  spirits,  returned  to  the  upper  decks,  where 
the  good  news  was  quickly  spread. 

The  fact  was  that  while  the  inspection  was  under 
way  the  Ark  had  floated  off,  and  when  Cosmo  and  the 
captain  reached  their  bridge  the  man  who  had  been 
left  in  charge  reported  that  the  vessel  had  swung 
halfway  round. 

"  She's  headed  for  the  old  Atlantic,"  sung  out 
Captain  Arms.  "  The  sooner  we're  off  the  better." 

But  before  the  captain  could  signal  the  order  to 
go  ahead,  Cosmo  Versal  laid  his  hand  on  his  arm 
and  said: 

"  Wait  a  moment;  listen." 

Through  the  lashing  of  the  rain  a  voice  penetrated 
with  a  sound  between  a  call  and  a  scream.  There 
could  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  human.  The  captain 
and  Cosmo  looked  at  one  another  in  speechless  aston 
ishment.  The  idea  that  any  one  outside  the  Ark 
could  have  survived,  and  could  now  be  afloat  amid 
this  turmoil  of  waters,  had  not  occurred  to  their 


"  A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE  "       147 

minds.  They  experienced  a  creeping  of  the  nerves. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  voice  came  again,  louder  than 
before,  and  the  words  that  it  pronounced  being  now 
clearly  audible,  the  two  listeners  could  not  believe 
their  ears. 

"Cosmo  Versal!  "  it  yelled.  "  Cosmo-o-o  Ver- 
sa-al !  A  billion  for  a  share !  A  billion,  I  say,  a  bit- 
li-on  for  a  share!  " 

Then  they  perceived  a  little  way  off  to  the  left 
something  which  looked  like  the  outline  of  a  boat, 
sunk  to  the  gunwales,  washed  over  by  every  wave; 
and  standing  in  it,  up  to  their  waists  in  water,  were 
four  men,  one  of  whom  was  gesticulating  violently, 
while  the  others  seemed  dazed  and  incapable  of  vol 
untary  movement. 

It  was  the  boat  of  levium  that  had  been  thrown 
out  of  the  wreckage  when  the  battleship  ran  down 
the  Municipal  tower,  and  we  must  now  follow  the 
thread  of  its  adventures  up  to  the  time  of  its  en 
counter  with  the  Ark. 

As  the  boat  was  driven  westward  from  the  drowned 
site  of  Madison  Square  it  gradually  freed  itself  from 
the  objects  floating  around,  most  of  which  soon  sunk, 
and  in  an  hour  or  two  its  inmates  were  alone — the 
sole  survivors  of  a  dense  population  of  many 
millions. 

Alone  they  were  in  impenetrable  darkness,  for,  as 
we  have  said,  night  had  by  this  time  once  more  fallen. 


148  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

They  floated  on,  half  drowned,  chilled  to  the  bone, 
not  trying  to  speak,  not  really  conscious  of  one  an 
other's  presence.  The  rain  beat  down  upon  them, 
the  waves  washed  over  them,  the  unsinkable  boat 
sluggishly  rose  and  fell  with  the  heaving  of  the 
water,  and  occasionally  they  were  nearly  flung  over 
board  by  a  sudden  lurch — and  yet  they  clung  with 
desperate  tenacity  to  the  thwarts,  as  if  life  were  still 
dear,  as  if  they  thought  that  they  might  yet  survive, 
though  the  world  was  drowned. 

Thus  hours  passed,  and  at  last  a  glimmer  appeared 
in  the  streaming  air,  and  a  faint  light  stole  over  the 
face  of  the  water.  If  they  saw  one  another,  it  was 
with  unrecognizing  eyes.  They  were  devoured  with 
hunger,  but  they  did  not  know  it. 

Suddenly  one  of  them — it  was  he, who  had  been 
so  miraculously  thrown  into  the  boat  when  it  shot 
out  of  the  tangle  of  falling  beams  and  walls — raised 
his  head  and  threw  up  his  arms,  a  wild  light  gleam 
ing  in  his  eyes. 

In  a  hoarse,  screaming  voice  he  yelled : 

"  Cosmo  Versal !  " 

No  other  syllables  that  the  tongue  could  shape 
would  have  produced  the  effect  of  that  name.  It 
roused  the  three  men  who  heard  it  from  their  lethargy 
of  despair,  and  thrilled  them  to  the  marrow.  With 
amazed  eyes  they  stared  at  their  companion.  He 
did  not  look  at  them,  but  gazed  off  into  the  thick 
rain.  Again  his  voice  rose  in  a  maniacal  shriek: 


"  A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE  "        149 

"  Cosmo  Versal!  Do  you  hear  me?  Let  me  in! 
A  billion  for  a  share !  " 

The  men  looked  at  each  other,  and,  even  in  their 
desperate  situation,  felt  a  stir  of  pity  in  their  hearts. 
They  were  not  too  dazed  to  comprehend  that  their 
companion  had  gone  mad.  One  of  them  moved  to 
his  side,  and  laid  a  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  as  if  he 
would  try  to  soothe  him. 

But  the  maniac  threw  him  off,  nearly  precipitating 
him  over  the  side  of  the  submerged  boat,  crying: 

"What  are  you  doing  in  my  boat?  Overboard 
with  you  !  I  am  looking  for  Cosmo  Versal !  He's  got 
the  biggest  thing  afloat!  Securities!  Securities! 
Gilt-edged !  A  billion,  I  tell  you !  Here  I  have  them 
—look !  Gilt-edged,  every  one !  "  and  he  snatched  a 
thick  bundle  of  papers  from  his  pocket  and  waved 
them  wildly  until  they  melted  into  a  pulpy  mass  with 
the  downpour. 

The  others  now  shrank  away  from  him  in  fear. 
Fear?  Yes,  for  still  they  loved  their  lives,  and  the 
staggering  support  beneath  their  feet  had  become  as 
precious  to  them  as  the  solid  earth.  They  would  have 
fought  with  the  fury  of  madmen  to  retain  their  places 
in  that  half-swamped  shell.  They  were  still  capable 
of  experiencing  a  keener  fear  than  that  of  the  flood. 
They  were  as  terrified  by  the  presence  of  this  maniac 
as  they  would  have  been  on  encountering  him  in  their 
homes. 

But  he  did  not  attempt  to  follow  them.    He  still 


150  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

looked  off  through  the  driving  rain,  balancing  him 
self  to  the  sluggish  lurching  of  the  boat,  and  continu 
ing  to  rave,  and  shout,  and  shake  his  soaked  bundle  of 
papers,  until,  exhausted  by  his  efforts,  and  half-choked 
by  the  water  that  drove  in  his  face,  he  sank  helpless 
upon  a  thwart. 

Then  they  fell  back  into  their  lethargy,  but  in  a 
little  while  he  was  on  his  feet  again,  gesticulating  and 
raging — and  thus  hours  passed  on,  and  still  they  were 
afloat,  and  still  clinging  to  life. 

Suddenly,  looming  out  of  the  strange  gloom,  they 
perceived  the  huge  form  of  the  Ark,  and  all  struggled 
to  their  feet,  but  none  could  find  voice  but  the  maniac. 

As  soon  as  he  saw  the  men,  Cosmo  Versal  had 
run  down  to  the  lowest  deck,  and  ordered  the  open 
ing  of  a  gangway  on  that  side.  When  the  door  swung 
back  he  found  himself  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
swamped  boat,  but  ten  feet  above  its  level.  Joseph 
Smith,  Professor  Moses,  Professor  Jones,  Professor 
Able,  and  others  of  the  passengers,  and  several  of  the 
crew,  hurried  to  his  side,  while  the  rest  of  the  pas 
sengers  crowded  as  near  as  they  could  get. 

The  instant  that  Cosmo  appeared  the  maniac  re 
doubled  his  cries. 

"  Here  they  are,"  he  yelled,  shaking  what  re 
mained  of  his  papers.  "  A  billion — all  gilt-edged ! 
Let  me  in.  But  shut  out  the  others.  They're  only 
little  fellows.  They've  got  no  means.  They  can't 


"A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE"       151 

float  an  enterprise  like  this.  Ah,  you're  a  bright 
one !  You  and  me,  Cosmo  Versal — we'll  squeeze  'em 
all  out.  I'll  give  you  the  secrets.  We'll  own  the 
earth!  I'm  Amos  Blank!" 

Cosmo  Versal  recognized  the  man  in  spite  of  the 
dreadful  change  that  had  come  over  him.  His  face 
was  white  and  drawn,  his  eyes  staring,  his  head  bare, 
his  hair  matted  with  water,  his  clothing  in  shreds — 
but  it  was  unmistakably  Amos  Blank,  a  man  whose 
features  the  newspapers  had  rendered  familiar  to 
millions,  a  man  who  had  for  years  stood  before  the 
public  as  the  unabashed  representative  of  the  system 
of  remorseless  repression  of  competition,  and  shame 
less  corruption  of  justice  and  legislation.  After  the 
world,  for  nearly  two  generations,  had  enjoyed  the 
blessings  of  the  reforms  in  business  methods  and  social 
ideals  that  had  been  inaugurated  by  the  great  uprising 
of  the  people  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  twentieth 
century,  Amos  Blank,  and  lesser  men  of  his  ilk,  had 
swung  back  the  pendulum,  and  re-established  more 
firmly  than  ever  the  reign  of  monopoly  and  iniquitous 
privilege. 

The  water-logged  little  craft  floated  nearer  until 
it  almost  touched  the  side  of  the  Ark  directly  below 
the  gangway.  The  madman's  eyes  glowed  with  eager 
ness,  and  he  reached  up  his  papers,  continually  yelling 
his  refrain:  "A  billion!  Gilt-edged!  Let  me  in! 
Don't  give  the  rabble  a  show!  " 

Cosmo  made  no  reply,  but  gazed  down  upon  the 


152  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

man  and  his  bedraggled  companions  with  impassive 
features,  but  thoughtful  eyes.  Any  one  who  knew 
him  intimately,  as  Joseph  Smith  alone  did,  could  have 
read  his  mind.  He  was  asking  himself  what  he  ought 
to  do.  Here  was  the  whole  fundamental  question 
to  be  gone  over  again.  To  what  purpose  had  he 
taken  so  great  pains  to  select  the  Power  of  mankind? 
Here  was  the  head  and  chief  of  the  offense  that  he 
had  striven  to  eliminate  appealing  to  him  to  be  saved 
under  circumstances  which  went  straight  to  the  heart 
and  awoke  every  sentiment  of  humanity. 

Presently  he  said  in  as  low  a  voice  as  could  be 
made  audible: 

"  Joseph,  advise  me.    What  should  I  do?" 
'  You  were  willing  to  take  Professor  Pludder," 
replied  Smith  evasively,  but  with  a  plain  leaning  to 
the  side  of  mercy. 

'  You  know  very  well  that  that  was  different," 
Cosmo  returned  irritably.  "  Pludder  was  not  morally 
rotten.  He  was  only  mistaken.  He  had  the  funda 
mental  scientific  quality,  and  I'm  sorry  he  threw  him 
self  away  in  his  obstinacy.  But  this  man— 

"  Since  he  is  alone,"  broke  in  Joseph  Smith  with 
a  sudden  illumination,  "  he  could  do  no  harm." 

Cosmo  Versal's  expression  instantly  brightened. 

"  You  are  right!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  By  himself  he 
can  do  nothing.  I  am  sure  there  is  no  one  aboard 
who  would  sympathize  with  his  ideas.  Alone,  he  is 
innocuous.  Besides,  he's  insane,  and  I  can't  leave  him 


"A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE"       153 

to  drown  in  that  condition.  And  I  must  take  the 
others,  too.  Let  down  a  landing  stage,"  he  continued 
in  a  louder  voice,  addressing  some  members  of  the 
crew. 

In  a  few  minutes  all  four  of  the  unfortunates, 
seeming  more  dead  than  alive,  were  helped  into  the 
Ark. 

Amos  Blank  immediately  precipitated  himself  upon 
Cosmo  Versal,  and,  seizing  him  by  the  arm,  tried  to 
lead  him  apart,  saying  in  his  ear,  as  he  glared  round 
upon  the  faces  of  the  throng  which  crowded  every 
available  space: 

"Hist!  Overboard  with  'em!  What's  all  this 
trash?  Shovel  'em  out!  They'll  want  to  get  in  with 
us;  they'll  queer  the  game!  " 

Then  he  turned  furiously  upon  the  persons  nearest 
him,  and  began  to  push  them  toward  the  open  gang 
way.  At  a  signal  from  Cosmo  Versal,  two  men  seized 
him  and  pinioned  his  arms.  At  that  his  mood 
changed,  and,  wrenching  himself  loose,  he  once  more 
ran  to  Cosmo,  waving  his  bedraggled  bundle,  and 
shouting: 

"  A  billion !  Here's  the  certificates — gilt-edge ! 
But,"  he  continued,  with  a  cunning  leer,  and  sud 
denly  thrusting  the  sodden  papers  into  his  pocket, 
"  you'll  make  out  the  receipts  first.  I'll  put  in  five 
billions  to  make  it  a  sure  go,  if  you  won't  let  in  an 
other  soul." 

Cosmo  shook  off  the  man's  grasp,  and  again  call- 


154  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ing  the  two  members  of  the  crew  who  had  before 
pinioned  his  arms,  told  them  to  lead  him  away,  at 
the  same  time  saying  to  him : 

'  You  go  with  these  men  into  my  room.     I'll  see 
you  later." 

Blank  took  it  in  the  best  part,  and  willingly  accom 
panied  his  conductors,  only  stopping  a  moment  to 
wink  over  his  shoulder  at  Cosmo,  and  then  he  was 
led  through  the  crowd,  which  regarded  him  with 
unconcealed  astonishment,  and  in  many  cases  with  no 
small  degree  of  fear.  As  soon  as  he  was  beyond 
earshot,  Cosmo  directed  Joseph  Smith  to  hurry  ahead 
of  the  party  and  conduct  them  to  a  particular  apart 
ment,  which  he  designated  at  the  same  time,  saying  to 
Smith : 

'  Turn  the  key  on  him  as  soon  as  he's  inside." 

Amos  Blank,  now  an  insane  prisoner  in  Cosmo 
VersaTs  Ark,  had  been  the  greatest  financial  power 
in  the  world's  metropolis,  a  man  of  iron  nerve  and 
the  clearest  of  brains,  who  always  kept  his  head  and 
never  uttered  a  foolish  word.  It  was  he  who  had 
stood  over  the  flight  of  steps  in  the  Municipal  Build 
ing,  coolly  measuring  with  his  eye  the  rise  of  the 
water,  exposing  the  terrible  error  that  sent  such  a 
wave  of  unreasoning  joy  through  the  hearts  of  the 
thousands  of  refugees  crowded  into  the  doomed  edi 
fice,  and  receiving  blows  and  curses  for  making  the 
truth  known. 

He  had  himself  taken  refuge  there,  after  visiting 


"A  BILLION  FOR  A  SHARE"       155 

his  office  and  filling  his  pockets  with  his  most  precious 
papers.  How,  by  a  marvelous  stroke  of  fate,  he 
became  one  of  the  four  persons  who  alone  escaped 
from  New  York  after  the  downpour  began  is  already 
known. 

The  other  men  taken  from  the  boat  were  treated 
like  rescued  mariners  snatched  from  a  wreck  at  sea. 
Every  attention  was  lavished  upon  them,  and  Cosmo 
Versal  did  not  appear  to  regret,  as  far  as  they  were 
concerned,  that  his  ship's  company  had  been  so  unex 
pectedly  recruited. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  SUBMERGENCE   OF  THE   OLD   WORLD 

TT 7E  now  turn  our  attention  for  a  time  from  the 
New  World  to  the  Old.  What  did  the  throng 
ing  populations  of  Europe,  Africa,  and  Asia  do  when 
the  signs  of  coming  disaster  chased  one  on  another's 
heels,  when  the  oceans  began  to  burst  their  bonds, 
and  when  the  windows  of  the  firmament  were  opened? 

The  picture  that  can  be  drawn  must  necessarily  be 
very  fragmentary,  because  the  number  who  escaped 
was  small  and  the  records  that  they  left  are  few. 

The  savants  of  the  older  nations  were,  in  general, 
quite  as  incredulous  and  as  set  in  their  opposition  to 
Cosmo  Versal's  extraordinary  outgivings  as  those  of 
America.  They  decried  his  science  and  denounced 
his  predictions  as  the  work  of  a  fool  or  a  madman. 
The  president  of  the  Royal  Astronomical  Society  of 
Great  Britain  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  most  of 
his  colleagues  that  a  nebula  could  not  possibly  contain 
enough  water  to  drown  an  asteroid,  let  alone  the 
earth. 

'  The  nebulae,"  said  this  learned  astronomer,  amid 
the  plaudits  of  his  hearers,  "  are  infinitely  rarer  in 
composition  than  the  rarest  gas  left  in  the  receiver 

156 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    157 

of  an  exhausted  air-pump.  I  would  undertake  to 
swallow  from  a  wineglass  the  entire  substance  of  any 
nebula  that  could  enter  the  space  between  the  earth 
and  the  sun,  if  it  were  condensed  into  the  liquid 
state." 

"  It  might  be  intoxicating,"  called  out  a  facetious 
member. 

"  Will  the  chair  permit  me  to  point  out,"  said  an 
other  with  great  gravity,  "  that  such  a  proceeding 
would  be  eminently  rash,  for  the  nebulous  fluid  might 
be  highly  poisonous."  ["  Hear!  Hear!  "  and  laugh 
ter.] 

'  What  do  you  say  of  this  strange  darkness  and 
these  storms?  "  asked  an  earnest-looking  man.  (This 
meeting  was  held  after  the  terrors  of  the  third  sign 
had  occurred.) 

"  I  say,"  replied  the  president,  "  that  that  is  the 
affair  of  the  Meteorological  Society,  and  has  nothing 
to  do  with  astronomy.  I  dare  say  that  they  can  ac 
count  for  it." 

"  And  I  dare  say  they  can't,"  cried  a  voice. 

"Hear!  Hear!"  "Who  are  you?"  "  Put  him 
out !  "  "I  dare  say  he's  right !  "  "  Cosmo  Versal !  " 
Everybody  was  talking  at  once. 

'  Will  this  gentleman  identify  himself?  "  asked  the 
president.  ;<  Will  he  please  explain  his  words?  " 

'  That  I  will,"  said  a  tall  man  with  long  whiskers, 
rising  at  the  rear  end  of  the  room.  "  I  am  pretty  well 
known.  I " 


158  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  It's  Jameson,  the  astrologer,"  cried  a  voice. 
"  What's  he  doing  here?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  whiskered  man,  "  it's  Jameson, 
the  astrologer,  and  he  has  come  here  to  let  you  know 
that  Cosmo  Versal  was  born  under  the  sign  Cancer, 
the  first  of  the  watery  triplicity,  and  that  Berosus,  the 
Chaldean,  declared— 

An  uproar  immediately  ensued;  half  the  members 
were  on  their  feet  at  once;  there  was  a  scuffle  in  the 
back  part  of  the  room,  and  Jameson,  the  astrologer, 
was  hustled  out,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice : 

"  Berosus,  the  Chaldean,  predicted  that  the  world 
would  be  drowned  when  all  the  planets  should  as 
semble  in  the  sign  Cancer — and  where  are  they  now? 
Blind  and  stupid  dolts  that  you  are — where  are  they 
now?  " 

It  was  some  time  before  order  could  be  restored, 
and  a  number  of  members  disappeared,  having  fol 
lowed  Jameson,  the  astrologer,  possibly  through  sym 
pathy,  or  possibly  with  a  desire  to  learn  more  about 
the  prediction  of  Berosus,  the  father  of  astrology. 

When  those  who  remained,  and  who  constituted  the 
great  majority  of  the  membership,  had  quieted  down, 
the  president  remarked  that  the  interruption  which 
they  had  just  experienced  was  quite  in  line  with  all 
the  other  proceedings  of  the  disturbers  of  public  tran 
quillity  who,  under  the  lead  of  a  crazy  American 
charlatan,  were  trying  to  deceive  the  ignorant  multi 
tude.  But  they  would  find  themselves  seriously  in 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    159 

error  if  they  imagined  that  their  absurd  ideas  were 
going  to  be  "  taken  over  "  in  England. 

"  I  dare  say,"  he  concluded,  "  that  there  is  some 
scheme  behind  it  all." 

"  Another  American  '  trust ' !  "  cried  a  voice. 

The  proceedings  were  finally  brought  to  an  end, 
but  not  before  a  modest  member  had  risen  in  his  place 
and  timidly  remarked  that  there  was  one  question 
that  he  would  like  to  put  to  the  chair — one  thing  that 
did  not  seem  to  have  been  made  quite  clear — "  Where 
were  the  planets  now?  " 

A  volley  of  hoots,  mingled  with  a  few  "  hears!  " 
constituted  the  only  reply. 

Scenes  not  altogether  unlike  this  occurred  in  the 
other  great  learned  societies — astronomical,  mete 
orological,  and  geological.  The  official  representa 
tives  of  science  were  virtually  unanimous  in  condem 
nation  of  Cosmo  Versal,  and  in  persistent  assertion 
that  nothing  that  had  occurred  was  inexplicable  by 
known  laws.  But  in  no  instance  did  they  make  it 
clear  to  anybody  precisely  what  were  the  laws  that 
they  invoked,  or  how  it  happened  that  Cosmo  Versal 
had  been  able  to  predict  so  many  strange  things  which 
everybody  knew  really  had  come  to  pass,  such  as  the 
sudden  storms  and  the  great  darkness. 

We  are  still,  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  dealing  with 
a  time  anterior  to  the  rising  of  the  sea. 

The  Paris  Academy  of  Sciences  voted  that  the  sub 
ject  was  unworthy  of  serious  investigation,  and  sim- 


160  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ilar  action  was  taken  at  Berlin,  St.  Petersburg,  Vienna, 
and  elsewhere. 

But  among  the  people  at  large  universal  alarm  pre 
vailed,  and  nothing  was  so  eagerly  read  as  the  dis 
patches  from  New  York,  detailing  the  proceedings  of 
Cosmo  Versal,  and  describing  the  progress  of  his 
great  levium  ark.  In  England  many  procured  copies 
of  Cosmo's  circulars,  in  which  the  proper  methods  to 
be  pursued  in  the  construction  of  arks  were  carefully 
set  forth.  Some  set  to  work  to  build  such  vessels; 
but,  following  British  methods  of  construction,  they 
doubled  the  weight  of  everything,  with  the  result  that, 
if  Cosmo  had  seen  what  they  were  about  he  would 
have  told  them  that  such  arks  would  go  to  the  bottom 
faster  than  to  the  top. 

In  Germany  the  balloon  idea  took  full  possession 
of  the  public  mind.  Germany  had  long  before  de 
veloped  the  greatest  fleet  of  dirigible  balloons  in  ex 
istence,  preferring  them  to  every  other  type  of  flying 
apparatus.  It  was  reported  that  the  Kaiser  was  of 
the  opinion  that  if  worst  came  to  worst  the  best  man 
ner  of  meeting  the  emergency  would  be  by  the  multi 
plication  of  dirigibles  and  the  increase  of  their  ca 
pacity. 

The  result  was  that  a  considerable  number  of 
wealthy  Germans  began  the  construction  of  such  ves 
sels.  But  when  interviewed  they  denied  that  they 
were  preparing  for  a  flood.  They  said  that  they  sim 
ply  wished  to  enlarge  and  increase  the  number  of 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    161 

their  pleasure  craft,  after  the  example  of  the  Kaiser. 
All  this  was  in  contemptuous  defiance  of  the  warn 
ing  which  Cosmo  Versal  had  been  careful  to  insert  in 
his  circulars,  that  "  balloons  and  aeros  of  all  kinds  will 
be  of  no  use  whatever;  the  only  safety  will  be  found 
in  arks,  and  they  must  be  provisioned  for  at  least  five 
years." 

The  most  remarkable  thing  of  all  happened  in 
France.  It  might  naturally  have  been  expected  that 
a  Frenchman  who  thought  it  worth  his  while  to  take 
any  precautions  against  the  extinction  of  the  human 
race  would,  when  it  became  a  question  of  a  flood, 
have  turned  to  the  aero,  for  from  the  commencement 
of  aerial  navigation  French  engineers  had  maintained 
an  unquestionable  superiority  in  the  construction  and 
perfection  of  that  kind  of  machine. 

Their  aeros  could  usually  fly  longer  and  carry  more 
dead  weight  than  those  of  any  other  nation.  In  the 
transoceanic  aero  races  which  occasionally  took  place 
the  French  furnished  the  most  daring  and  the  most 
frequently  successful  competitors. 

But  the  French  mind  is  masterly  in  appreciation 
of  details,  and  Cosmo  Versal's  reasons  for  condemning 
the  aero  and  the  balloon  as  means  of  escaping  the 
flood  were  promptly  divined.  In  the  first  place  it 
was  seen  that  no  kind  of  airship  could  be  successfully 
provisioned  for  a  flight  of  indefinite  length,  and  in 
the  second  place  the  probable  strength  of  the  winds, 
or  the  crushing  weight  of  the  descending  water,  in 


1 62  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

case,  as  Cosmo  predicted,  a  nebula  should  condense 
upon  the  earth,  would  either  sweep  an  aero  or  a 
balloon  to  swift  destruction,  or  carry  it  down  into  the 
waves  like  a  water-soaked  butterfly. 

Accordingly,  when  a  few  Frenchmen  began  seri 
ously  to  consider  the  question  of  providing  a  way  of 
escape  from  the  flood — always  supposing,  for  the  sake 
of  argument,  that  there  would  be  a  flood — they  got 
together,  under  the  leadership  of  an  engineer  officer 
named  Yves  de  Beauxchamps,  and  discussed  the  mat 
ter  in  all  its  aspects.  They  were  not  long  in  arriving 
at  the  conclusion  that  the  best  and  most  logical  thing 
that  could  possibly  be  done  would  be  to  construct  a 
submarine. 

In  fact,  this  was  almost  an  inevitable  conclusion 
for  them,  because  before  the  abandonment  of  sub 
marines  in  war  on  account  of  their  too  great  powers  of 
destruction — a  circumstance  which  had  also  led  to  the 
prohibition  of  the  use  of  explosive  bombs  in  the  aerial 
navies — the  French  had  held  the  lead  in  the  construc 
tion  and  management  of  submersible  vessels,  even 
more  decisively  than  in  the  case  of  aeros. 

"  A  large  submarine,"  said  De  Beauxchamps, 
"  into  whose  construction  a  certain  amount  of  levium 
entered,  would  possess  manifest  advantages  over  Ver- 
sal's  Ark.  It  could  be  provisioned  to  any  extent  de 
sired,  it  would  escape  the  discomforts  of  the  waves, 
winds,  and  flooding  rain,  and  it  could  easily  rise  to 
the  surface  whenever  that  might  be  desirable  for 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    163 

change  of  air.  It  would  have  all  the  amphibious 
advantages  of  a  whale." 

The  others  were  decidedly  of  De  Beauxchamps's 
opinion,  and  it  was  enthusiastically  resolved  that  a 
vessel  of  this  kind  should  be  begun  at  once. 

"  If  we  don't  need  it  for  a  flood,"  said  De  Beaux- 
champs,  "  we  can  employ  it  for  a  pleasure  vessel  to 
visit  the  wonders  of  the  deep.  We  will  then  make  a 
reality  of  that  marvelous  dream  of  our  countryman  of 
old,  that  prince  of  dreamers,  Jules  Verne." 

"  Let's  name  it  for  him!  "  cried  one. 

"Admirable!  Charming!"  they  all  exclaimed. 
"  Five  le 'Jules  Verne' 1" 

Within  two  days,  but  without  the  knowledge  of 
the  public,  the  keel  of  the  submersible  Jules  Verne 
was  laid.  But  we  shall  hear  of  that  remarkable  craft 
again. 

While  animated,  and  in  some  cases  violent,  discus 
sions  were  taking  place  in  the  learned  circles  of  Eu 
rope,  and  a  few  were  making  ready  in  such  manner 
as  they  deemed  most  effective  for  possible  contin 
gencies,  waves  of  panic  swept  over  the  remainder  of 
the  Old  World.  There  were  yet  hundreds  of  mil 
lions  in  Africa  and  Asia  to  whom  the  advantages  of 
scientific  instruction  had  not  extended,  but  who,  while 
still  more  or  less  under  the  dominion  of  ignorance 
and  superstition,  were  in  touch  with  the  news  of  the 
whole  planet. 

The  rumor  that  a  wise  man  in  America  had  dis- 


1 64  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

covered  that  the  world  was  to  be  drowned  was  not 
long  in  reaching  the  most  remote  recesses  of  the 
African  forests  and  of  the  boundless  steppes  of  the 
greater  continent,  and,  however  it  might  be  ridiculed 
or  received  with  skeptical  smiles  in  the  strongholds  of 
civilization,  it  met  with  ready  belief  in  less  enlight 
ened  minds. 

Then,  the  three  "  signs  "  —the  first  great  heat,  the 
onslaught  of  storm  and  lightning,  and  the  Noche 
Triste,  the  great  darkness — had  been  world-wide  in 
their  effects,  and  each  had  heightened  the  terror 
caused  by  its  predecessor.  Moreover,  in  the  less  en 
lightened  parts  of  the  world  the  reassurances  of  the 
astronomers  and  others  did  not  penetrate  at  all,  or,  if 
they  did,  had  no  effect,  for  not  only  does  bad  news 
run  while  good  news  walks,  but  it  talks  faster. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  one  of  the  most  disquieting 
incidents  in  America,  immediately  preceding  the  catas- 
trophal  rising  of  the  oceans,  was  the  melting  of  the 
Arctic  snows  and  ice-fields,  with  consequent  inunda 
tions  in  the  north.  This  stage  in  the  progress  of  the 
coming  disaster  was  accentuated  in  Europe  by  the 
existence  of  the  vast  glaciers  of  the  Alps.  The  Rocky 
Mountains,  in  their  middle  course,  had  relatively  little 
snow  and  almost  no  true  glaciers,  and  consequently 
there  were  no  scenes  of  this  kind  in  the  United  States 
comparable  with  those  that  occurred  in  the  heart  of 
Europe. 

After  the  alarm  caused  by  the  great  darkness  in 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    165 

September  had  died  out,  and  the  long  spell  of  con 
tinuous  clear  skies  began,  the  summer  resorts  of 
Switzerland  were  crowded  as  they  had  seldom  been. 
People  were  driven  there  by  the  heat,  for  one  thing; 
and  then,  owing  to  the  early  melting  of  the  winter's 
deposit  of  snow,  the  Alps  presented  themselves  in  a 
new  aspect. 

Mountain-climbers  found  it  easy  to  make  ascents 
upon  peaks  which  had  always  hitherto  presented  great 
difficulties  on  account  of  the  vast  snow-fields,  seamed 
with  dangerous  crevasses,  which  hung  upon  their 
flanks.  These  were  now  so  far  removed  that  it  was 
practicable  for  amateur  climbers  to  go  where  always 
before  only  trained  Alpinists,  accompanied  by  the 
most  experienced  guides,  dared  to  venture. 

But  as  the  autumn  days  ran  on  and  new  snows  fell, 
the  deep-seated  glaciers  began  to  dissolve,  and  masses 
of  ice  that  had  lain  for  untold  centuries  in  the  mighty 
laps  of  the  mountains,  projecting  frozen  noses  into 
the  valleys,  came  tumbling  down,  partly  in  the  form 
of  torrents  of  water  and  partly  in  roaring  avalanches. 

The  great  Aletsch  glacier  was  turned  into  a  river 
that  swept  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Rhone,  carry 
ing  everything  before  it.  The  glaciers  at  the  head 
of  the  Rhone  added  their  contribution.  The  whole  of 
the  Bernese  Oberland  seemed  to  have  suddenly  been 
dissolved  like  a  huge  mass  of  sugar  candy,  and  on  the 
north  the  valley  of  Interlaken  was  inundated,  while 
the  lakes  of  Thun  and  Brientz  were  lost  in  an  inland 


1 66  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

sea  which  rapidly  spread  over  all  the  lower  lands 
between  the  Alps  and  the  Swiss  Jura. 

Farther  east  the  Rhine,  swollen  by  the  continual 
descent  of  the  glacier  water,  burst  its  banks,  and 
broadened  out  until  Strasburg  lay  under  water  with 
the  finger  of  its  ancient  cathedral  helplessly  pointing 
skyward  out  of  the  midst  of  the  flood.  All  the  ancient 
cities  of  the  great  valley  from  Basle  to  Mayence  saw 
their  streets  inundated  and  the  foundations  of  their 
most  precious  architectural  monuments  undermined 
by  the  searching  water. 

The  swollen  river  reared  back  at  the  narrow  pass 
through  the  Taunus  range,  and  formed  a  huge  eddy 
that  swirled  over  the  old  city  of  Bingen.  Then  it 
tore  down  between  the  castle-crowned  heights,  sweep 
ing  away  the  villages  on  the  river  banks  from  Bingen 
to  Coblentz,  lashing  the  projecting  rocks  of  the 
Lorelei,  and  carrying  off  houses,  churches,  and  old 
abbeys  in  a  rush  of  ruin. 

It  widened  out  as  it  approached  Bonn  and  Cologne, 
but  the  water  was  still  deep  enough  to  inundate  those 
cities,  and  finally  it  spread  over  the  plain  of  Holland, 
finding  a  score  of  new  mouths  through  which  to  pour 
into  the  German  Ocean,  while  the  reclaimed  area  of 
the  Zuyder  Zee  once  more  joined  the  ocean,  and  Am 
sterdam  and  the  other  cities  of  the  Netherlands  were 
buried,  in  many  cases  to  the  tops  of  the  house  doors. 

West  and  south  the  situation  was  the  same.  The 
Mer  de  Glace  at  Chamonix,  and  all  the  other  glaciers 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    167 

of  the  Mont  Blanc  range,  disappeared,  sending  floods 
down  to  Geneva  and  over  the  Dauphiny  and  down 
into  the  plains  of  Piedmont  and  Lombardy.  The  ruin 
was  tremendous  and  the  loss  of  life  incalculable. 
Geneva,  Turin,  Milan,  and  a  hundred  other  cities, 
were  swept  by  torrents. 

The  rapidity  of  this  melting  of  the  vast  snow-beds 
and  glaciers  of  the  Alps  was  inconceivable,  and  the 
effect  of  the  sudden  denudation  upon  the  mountains 
themselves  was  ghastly.  Their  seamed  and  cavernous 
sides  stood  forth,  gaunt  and  naked,  a  revelation  of 
Nature  in  her  most  fearful  aspects  such  as  men  had 
never  looked  upon.  Mont  Blanc,  without  its  blanket 
of  snow  and  ice,  towered  like  the  blackened  ruin  of 
a  fallen  world,  a  sight  that  made  the  beholders 
shudder. 

But  this  flood  ended  as  suddenly  as  it  had  begun. 
When  the  age-long  accumulations  of  snow  had  all 
melted  the  torrents  ceased  to  pour  down  from  the 
mountains,  and  immediately  the  courageous  and  in 
dustrious  inhabitants  of  the  Netherlands  began  to 
repair  their  broken  dikes,  while  in  Northern  Italy  and 
the  plains  of  Southeastern  France  every  effort  was- 
made  to  repair  the  terrible  losses. 

Of  course  similar  scenes  had  been  enacted,  and 
on  even  a  more  fearful  scale,  in  the  plains  of  India, 
flooded  by  the  melting  of  the  enormous  icy  burden 
that  covered  the  Himalayas,  the  "  Abode  of  Snow." 
And  all  over  the  world,  wherever  icy  mountains  reared 


1 68  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

themselves  above  inhabited  lands,  the  same  story  of 
destruction  and  death  was  told. 

Then,  after  an  interval,  came  the  yet  more  awful 
invasion  of  the  sea. 

But  few  details  can  be  given  from  lack  of  records. 
The  Thames  roared  backward  on  its  course,  and 
London  and  all  central  England  were  inundated.  A 
great  bore  of  sea-water  swept  along  the  shores  of 
the  English  Channel,  and  bursting  through  the  Skager 
Rack,  covered  the  lower  end  of  Sweden,  and  rushed 
up  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  burying  St.  Petersburg,  and 
turning  all  Western  Russia,  and  the  plains  of  Pome- 
rania  into  a  sea.  The  Netherlands  disappeared. 
The  Atlantic  poured  through  the  narrow  pass  of  the 
Strait  of  Gibraltar,  leaving  only  the  Lion  Rock  visible 
above  the  waves. 

At  length  the  ocean  found  its  way  into  the  Desert 
of  Sahara,  large  areas  of  which  had  been  reclaimed, 
and  were  inhabited  by  a  considerable  population  of 
prosperous  farmers.  Nowhere  did  the  sudden  com 
ing  of  the  flood  cause  greater  consternation  than  here 
—strange  as  that  statement  may  seem.  The  people 
had  an  undefined  idea  that  they  were  protected  by 
a  sort  of  barrier  from  any  possible  inundation. 

It  had  taken  so  many  years  and  such  endless  labor 
to  introduce  into  the  Sahara  sufficient  water  to  trans 
form  its  potentially  rich  soil  into  arable  land  that  the 
thought  of  any  sudden  superabundance  of  that  ele 
ment  was  far  from  the  minds  of  the  industrious  agri- 


SUBMERGENCE  OF  OLD  WORLD    169 

culturists.  They  had  heard  of  the  inundations  caused 
by  the  melting  of  the  mountain  snows  elsewhere,  but 
there  were  no  snow-clad  mountains  near  them  to  be 
feared. 

Accordingly,  when  a  great  wave  of  water  came 
rushing  upon  them,  surmounted,  where  it  swept  over 
yet  unredeemed  areas  of  the  desert,  by  immense  clouds 
of  whirling  dust,  that  darkened  the  air  and  recalled 
the  old  days  of  the  simoom,  they  were  taken  com 
pletely  by  surprise.  But  as  the  water  rose  higher 
they  tried  valiantly  to  escape.  They  were  pro 
gressive  people,  and  many  of  them  had  aeros. 
Besides,  two  or  three  lines  of  aero  expresses  crossed 
their  country.  All  who  could  do  so  immediately  em 
barked  in  airships,  some  fleeing  toward  Europe,  and 
others  hovering  about,  gazing  in  despair  at  the 
spreading  waters  beneath  them. 

As  the  invasion  of  the  sea  grew  more  and  more 
serious,  this  flight  by  airship  became  a  common  spec 
tacle  over  all  the  lower-lying  parts  of  Europe,  and 
in  the  British  Isles.  But,  in  the  midst  of  it,  the 
heavens  opened  their  flood-gates,  as  they  had  done 
in  the  New  World,  and  then  the  aeros,  flooded  with 
rain,  and  hurled  about  by  contending  blasts  of  wind, 
drooped,  fluttered,  and  fell  by  hundreds  into  the  fast 
mounting  waves.  The  nebula  was  upon  them! 

In  the  meantime  those  who  had  provided  arks  of 
one  kind  or  another,  tried  desperately  to  get  them 
safely  afloat.  All  the  vessels  that  succeeded  in  leav- 


i  yo  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ing  their  wharves  were  packed  with  fugitives.  Boats 
of  every  sort  were  pressed  into  use,  and  the  few  that 
survived  were  soon  floating  over  the  sites  of  the 
drowned  homes  of  their  occupants. 

Before  it  was  too  late  Yves  de  Beauxchamps  and 
his  friends  launched  their  submarine,  and  plunged 
into  the  bosom  of  the  flood. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

STRANGE    FREAKS   OF  THE   NEBULA 

VI7E  return  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  Cosmo  Ver- 

sal's  Ark. 

After  he  had  so  providentially  picked  up  the  crazed 
billionaire,  Amos  Blank,  and  his  three  companions, 
Cosmo  ordered  Captain  Arms  to  bear  away  south 
eastward,  bidding  farewell  to  the  drowned  shores  of 
America,  and  sailing  directly  over  the  lower  part  of 
Manhattan,  and  western  Long  Island.  The  naviga 
tion  was  not  easy,  and  if  the  Ark  had  not  been  a  mar- 
velously  buoyant  vessel  it  would  not  long  have  sur 
vived.  At  the  beginning  the  heavy  and  continuous 
rain  kept  down  the  waves,  and  the  surface  of  the  sea 
was  comparatively  smooth,  but  after  a  while  a  curious 
phenomenon  began  to  be  noticed;  immense  billows 
would  suddenly  appear,  rushing  upon  the  Ark  now 
from  one  direction  and  now  from  another,  canting 
it  over  at  a  dangerous  angle,  and  washing  almost  to 
the  top  of  the  huge  ellipsoid  of  the  dome.  At  such 
times  it  was  difficult  for  anybody  to  maintain  a  foot 
ing,  and  there  was  great  terror  among  the  passengers. 
But  Cosmo,  and  stout  Captain  Arms,  remained  at 
their  post,  relieving  one  another  at  frequent  intervals, 


1 72  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

and  never  entrusting  the  sole  charge  of  the  vessel  to 
any  of  their  lieutenants. 

Cosmo  Versal  himself  was  puzzled  to  account  for 
the  origin  of  the  mighty  billows,  for  it  seemed  im 
possible  that  they  could  be  raised  by  the  wind  not 
withstanding  the  fact  that  it  blew  at  times  with  hur 
ricane  force.  But  at  last  the  explanation  came  of 
itself. 

Both  Cosmo  and  the  captain  happened  to  be  on 
the  bridge  together  when  they  saw  ahead  something 
that  looked  like  an  enormous  column  as  black  as  ink, 
standing  upright  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  A 
glance  showed  that  it  was  in  swift  motion,  and,  more 
than  that,  was  approaching  in  a  direct  line  toward 
the  Ark.  In  less  than  two  minutes  it  was  upon  them. 

The  instant  that  it  met  the  Ark  a  terrific  roaring 
deafened  them,  and  the  rounded  front  of  the  dome 
beneath  their  eyes  disappeared  under  a  deluge  of  de 
scending  water  so  dense  that  the  vision  could  not 
penetrate  it.  In  another  half  minute  the  great  vessel 
seemed  to  have  been  driven  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 
But  for  the  peculiar  construction  of  the  shelter  of  the 
bridge  its  occupants  would  have  been  drowned  at  their 
posts.  As  it  was  they  were  soaked  as  if  they  had  been 
plunged  overboard.  Impenetrable  darkness  sur 
rounded  them. 

But  the  buoyant  vessel  shook  itself,  rolled  from 
side  to  side,  and  rose  with  a  staggering  motion  until 
it  seemed  to  be  poised  on  the  summit  of  a  watery 


STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA   173 

mountain.  Immediately  the  complete  darkness  passed, 
the  awful  downpour  ceased,  although  the  rain  still 
fell  in  torrents,  and  the  Ark  began  to  glide  downward 
with  sickening  velocity,  as  if  it  were  sliding  down  a 
liquid  slope. 

It  was  a  considerable  time  before  the  two  men, 
clinging  to  the  supports  of  the  bridge,  were  able  to 
maintain  their  equilibrium  sufficiently  to  render  it 
possible  to  utter  a  few  connected  words.  As  soon  as 
he  could  speak  with  reasonable  comfort  Cosmo  ex 
claimed: 

"  Now  I  see  what  it  is  that  causes  the  billows, 
but  it  is  a  phenomenon  that  I  should  never  have 
anticipated.  It  is  all  due  to  the  nebula.  Evidently 
there  are  irregularities  of  some  kind  in  its  constitution 
which  cause  the  formation  of  almost  solid  masses  of 
water  in  the  atmosphere — suspended  lakes,  as  it  were 
—which  then  plunge  down  in  a  body  as  if  a  hundred 
thousand  Niagaras  were  pouring  together  from  the 
sky. 

"  These  sudden  accessions  of  water  raise  stupen 
dous  waves  which  sweep  off  in  every  direction,  and 
that  explains  the  billows  that  we  have  encountered." 

"  Well,  this  nebular  navigation  beats  all  my  ex 
perience,"  said  Captain  Arms,  wiping  the  water  out 
of  his  eyes.  "  I  was  struck  by  a  waterspout  once  in 
the  Indian  Ocean,  and  I  thought  that  that  capped  the 
climax,  but  it  was  only  a  catspaw  to  this.  Give  me 
a  clear  offing  and  I  don't  care  how  much  wind  blows, 


174  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

but  blow  me  if  I  want  to  get  under  any  more  lakes 
in  the  sky." 

"  We'll  have  to  take  whatever  comes,"  returned 
Cosmo,  "  but  I  don't  think  there  is  much  danger  of 
running  directly  into  many  of  these  downpours  as 
we  did  into  this  one.  Now  that  we  know  what  they 
are,  we  can,  perhaps,  detect  them  long  enough  in 
advance  to  steer  out  of  their  way.  Anyhow,  we've 
got  a  good  vessel  under  our  feet.  Anything  but  an 
ark  of  levium  would  have  gone  under  for  good,  and 
if  I  had  not  covered  the  vessel  with  the  dome  there 
would  have  been  no  chance  for  a  soul  in  her." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Ark  did  not  encounter  any 
more  of  the  columns  of  descending  water,  but  the 
frequent  billows  that  were  met  showed  that  they  were 
careering  over  the  face  of  the  swollen  sea  in  every 
direction. 

But  there  was  another  trouble  of  a  different  nature. 
The  absence  of  sun  and  stars  deprived  them  of  the 
ordinary  means  of  discovering  their  place.  They 
could  only  make  a  rough  guess  as  to  the  direction  in 
which  they  were  going.  The  gyrostatic  compasses 
gave  them  considerable  assistance,  and  they  had  per 
fect  chronometers,  but  these  latter  could  be  of  no  use 
without  celestial  observations  of  some  kind. 

At  length  Cosmo  devised  a  means  of  obtaining  ob 
servations  that  were  of  sufficient  value  to  partially 
serve  their  purpose.  He  found  that  while  the  disk  of 
the  sun  was  completely  hidden  in  the  watery  sky,  yet 


STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA   175 

it  was  possible  to  determine  its  location  by  means  of 
the  varying  intensity  of  the  light. 

Where  the  sun  was  a  concentrated  glow  appeared, 
shading  gradually  off  on  all  sides.  With  infinite  pains 
Cosmo,  assisted  by  the  experience  of  the  captain,  suc 
ceeded  in  determining  the  center  of  the  maximum  il 
lumination,  and,  assuming  that  to  represent  the  true 
place  of  the  sun,  they  got  something  in  the  nature 
of  observations  for  altitude  and  azimuth,  and  Captain 
Arms  even  drew  on  his  chart  "  Sumner  lines  "  to  de 
termine  the  position  of  the  Ark,  although  he  smiled 
at  the  thought  of  their  absurd  inaccuracy.  Still,  it  was 
the  best  they  could  do,  and  was  better  than  nothing 
at  all. 

They  kept  a  log  going  also,  although,  as  the  cap 
tain  pointed  out,  it  was  not  of  much  use  to  know 
how  fast  they  were  traveling,  since  they  could  not 
know  the  precise  direction,  within  a  whole  point  of 
the  compass,  or  perhaps  several  points. 

"  Besides,"  he  remarked,  "  what  do  we  know  of 
the  currents?  This  is  not  the  old  Atlantic.  If  I  could 
feel  the  Gulf  Stream  I'd  know  whereabouts  I  was, 
but  these  currents  come  from  all  directions,  and  a  man 
might  as  well  try  to  navigate  in  a  tub  of  boiling 
water." 

"  But  we  can,  at  least,  keep  working  eastward," 
said  Cosmo.  "  My  idea  is  first  to  make  enough 
southing  to  get  into  the  latitude  of  the  Sahara  Desert, 
and  then  run  directly  east,  so  as  to  cross  Africa  where 


176  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

there  are  no  mountains,  and  where  we  shall  be  cer 
tain  of  having  plenty  of  water  under  our  keel. 

"  Then,  having  got  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Suez,  we  can  steer  down  into  the  region  of  the 
Indian  Ocean,  and  circle  round  south  of  the  Hima 
layas.  I  want  to  keep  an  eye  on  those  mountains, 
and  stay  around  the  place  where  they  disappear,  be 
cause  that  will  be  the  first  part  of  the  earth  to  emerge 
from  the  flood  and  it  is  there  that  we  shall  ultimately 
make  land." 

"  Well,  we're  averaging  eight  knots,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  "  and  at  that  rate  we  ought  to  be  in  the  longitude 
of  the  African  coast  in  about  twenty  days.  How 
high  will  the  water  stand  then?  " 

"  My  gages  show,"  replied  Cosmo,  "  that  the  reg 
ular  fall  amounts  to  exactly  the  same  thing  as  at  the 
beginning — two  inches  a  minute.  Of  course  the  spouts 
increase  the  amount  locally,  but  I  don't  think  that  they 
add  materially  to  the  general  rise  of  the  flood.  Two 
inches  per  minute  means  4,800  feet  in  twenty  days. 
That'll  be  sufficient  to  make  safe  navigation  for  us 
all  the  way  across  northern  Africa.  We'll  have  to 
be  careful  in  getting  out  into  the  Indian  Ocean  area, 
for  there  are  mountains  on  both  sides  that  might  give 
us  trouble,  but  the  higher  ones  will  still  be  in  sight, 
and  they  will  serve  to  indicate  the  location  of  the 
lower  ranges  already  submerged,  but  not  covered 
deeply  enough  to  afford  safe  going  over  them." 

"  All  right,"  said  Captain  Arms,  "  you're  the  com- 


STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA  177 

modore,  but  if  we  don't  hang  our  timbers  on  the 
Mountains  of  the  Moon,  or  the  Alps,  or  old  Ararat, 
I'm  a  porpoise.  Why  can't  you  keep  circling  round 
at  a  safe  distance,  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic,  until 
all  these  reefs  get  a  good  depth  of  water  on  'em?  " 

"  Because,"  Cosmo  replied,  "  even  if  we  keep  right 
on  now  it  will  probably  take  two  months,  allowing 
for  delays  in  getting  round  dangerous  places,  to  come 
within  sight  of  the  Himalayas,  and  in  two  months 
the  flood  will  have  risen  nearly  15,000  feet,  thus  hid 
ing  many  of  the  landmarks.  If  we  should  hold  off 
here  a  couple  of  months  before  starting  eastward 
nothing  but  the  one  highest  peak  on  the  globe  would 
be  left  in  sight  by  the  time  we  arrived  there,  and  that 
wouldn't  be  anything  more  than  a  rock,  so  that  with 
the  uncertainty  of  our  navigation  we  might  not  be  able 
to  find  it  at  all.  I  must  know  the  spot  where  Tibet 
sinks,  and  then  manage  to  keep  in  its  neighborhood." 

That  ended  the  argument. 

"  Give  me  a  safe  port,  with  lights  and  bearings, 
and  I'll  undertake  to  hit  it  anywhere  in  the  two  hem 
ispheres,  but  blow  me  if  I  fancy  steering  for  the  top 
of  the  world  by  dead  reckoning,  or  no  reckoning  at 
all,"  grumbled  the  captain. 

At  night,  of  course,  they  had  not  even  the  slight 
advantage  that  their  observations  of  the  probable 
place  of  the  sun  gave  them  when  it  was  above  the 
horizon.  Then  they  had  to  go  solely  by  the  indica 
tions  of  the  compass.  Still,  they  forged  steadily 


1 
iy8  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ahead,  and  when  they  got  into  what  they  deemed  the 
proper  latitude,  they  ran  for  the  site  of  the  drowned 
Sahara. 

After  about  a  week  the  billowing  motion  caused  by 
the  descent  of  the  "  lakes  in  the  sky  "  ceased  entirely, 
to  their  great  delight,  but  the  lawless  nebula  was  now 
preparing  another  surprise  for  them. 

On  the  ninth  night  after  their  departure  from  their 
lodgment  on  the  Palisades  Cosmo  Versal  was  sleep 
ing  in  his  bunk  close  by  the  bridge,  where  he  could 
be  called  in  an  instant,  dreaming  perhaps  of  the 
glories  of  the  new  world  that  was  to  emerge  out  of 
the  deluge,  when  he  was  abruptly  awakened  by  the 
voice  of  Captain  Arms,  who  appeared  to  be  laboring 
under  uncontrollable  excitement. 

'  Tumble  up  quicker'n  you  ever  did  in  your  life !  " 
he  exclaimed,  his  big  brown  beard  wagging  almost  in 
Cosmo's  face.  "  The  flood's  over!  " 

Cosmo  sprang  out  of  bed  and  pulled  on  his  coat 
in  a  second. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Look  for  yourself,"  said  the  captain,  pointing 
overhead. 

Cosmo  Versal  glanced  up  and  saw  the  sky  ablaze 
with  stars!  The  rain  had  entirely  ceased.  The  sur 
face  of  the  sea  was  almost  as  smooth  as  glass,  though 
rising  and  falling  slowly,  with  a  long,  rolling  motion. 
The  Ark  rode  steadily,  shivering,  like  an  ocean  liner, 
under  the  impulse  of  its  engines,  and  the  sudden  si- 


STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA  179 

lence,  succeeding  the  ceaseless  roar  of  the  downpour, 
which  had  never  been  out  of  their  ears  from  the  start 
of  the  voyage,  seemed  supernatural. 

"When  did  this  happen?"  he  demanded. 

"  It  began  not  more  than  five  minutes  ago.  I  was 
just  saying  to  myself  that  we  ought  to  be  somewhere 
near  the  center  of  the  old  Atlantic  as  it  used  to  be, 
and  wondering  whether  we  had  got  our  course  laid 
right  to  go  fairly  between  the  Canaries  and  the  Cape 
de  Verdes,  for  I  didn't  want  to  be  harpooned  by 
Gogo  or  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe,  when  all  of  a  sudden 
there  came  a  lightening  in  the  nor'east  and  the  stars 
broke  out  there. 

"  I  was  so  set  aback  that  I  didn't  do  anything  for 
two  or  three  minutes  but  stare  at  the  stars.  Then  the 
rain  stopped  and  a  curtain  seemed  to  roll  off  the  sky, 
and  in  a  minute  more  it  was  clear  down  to  the  horizon 
all  around.  Then  I  got  my  wits  together  and  ran  to 
call  you." 

Cosmo  glanced  around  and  above,  seeming  to  be 
as  much  astonished  as  the  captain  had  been.  He 
rubbed  his  huge  bald  dome  and  looked  all  round 
again  before  speaking.  At  last  he  said: 

"  It's  the  nebula  again.  There  must  be  a  hole  in 
it." 

"  Its  whole  bottom's  knocked  out,  I  reckon,"  said 
the  captain.  "  Maybe  it's  run  out  of  water — sort  o' 
squeezed  itself  dry." 

Cosmo  shook  his  head. 


i8o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  We  are  not  yet  in  the  heart  of  it,"  he  said.  u  It 
is  evident  to  me  now  that  what  I  took  for  the  nucleus 
was  only  a  close-coiled  spiral,  and  we're  run  out  of 
that,  but  the  worst  is  yet  to  come.  When  we  strike 
the  center,  then  we'll  catch  it,  and  there'll  be  no  more 
intermissions." 

"How  long  will  that  be?"  inquired  Captain 
Arms. 

"  It  may  be  a  week,  and  it  may  be  a  month,  though 
I  hardly  think  it  will  be  so  long  as  that.  The  earth 
is  going  about  twelve  miles  a  second — that's  more 
than  a  million  miles  a  day — directly  toward  the  center 
of  the  nebula.  It  has  taken  ten  days  to  go  through 
the  spiral  that  we  have  encountered,  making  that 
about  ten  million  miles  thick.  It's  not  likely  that  the 
gap  between  this  spiral  and  the  nucleus  of  the  nebula 
is  more  than  thirty  million  miles  across,  at  the  most; 
so  you  see  we'll  probably  be  in  the  nucleus  within  a 
month,  and  possibly  much  less  than  a  month." 

Captain  Arms  took  a  chew  of  tobacco. 

'  We  can  get  our  bearings  now,"  he  remarked. 
"  Look,  there's  the  moon  just  rising,  and  on  my 
word,  she  is  going  to  occult  Aldebaran  within  an  hour. 
I'll  get  an  observation  for  longitude,  and  another  on 
Polaris  for  latitude.  No  running  on  submerged 
mountains  for  us  now." 

The  captain  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  when  his 
observations  had  been  made  and  the  calculations  com^ 
pleted  he  announced  that  the  position  of  the  Ark  was ; 


STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA  181 

Latitude,  16  degrees  10  minutes  north;  longitude,  42 
degrees  28  minutes  west. 

"  Lucky  for  us,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that  the  sky 
cleared.  If  we'd  kept  on  as  we  were  going  we'd  have 
struck  the  Cape  de  Verdes,  and  if  that  had  happened 
at  night  we'd  probably  have  left  our  bones  on  a 
drowning  volcano.  We  ought  to  have  been  ten  or 
twelve  degrees  farther  north  to  make  a  safe  passage 
over  the  Sahara.  What's  the  course  now?  Are  you 
still  for  running  down  the  Himalaya  mountains?  " 

"  I'll  decide  later  what  to  do,"  said  Cosmo  Versal. 
"  Make  your  northing,  and  then  we'll  cruise  around 
a  little  and  see  what's  best  to  be  done." 

When  day  came  on,  brilliant  with  sunshine,  and 
the  astonished  passengers,  hurrrying  out  of  their 
bunks,  crowded  about  the  now  opened  gangways  and 
the  portholes,  which  Cosmo  had  also  ordered  to  be 
opened,  and  gazed  with  delight  upon  the  smooth  blue 
sea,  the  utmost  enthusiasm  took  possession  of  them. 

The  flood  was  over! 

They  were  sure  of  it,  and  they  shook  hands  with 
one  another  and  congratulated  themselves  and  hur 
rahed,  and  gave  cheers  for  the  Ark  and  cheers  for 
Cosmo  Versal.  Then  they  began  to  think  of  their 
drowned  homes  and  of  their  lost  friends,  and  sadness 
followed  joy.  Cosmo  was  mobbed  by  eager  inquiries 
wherever  he  made  his  appearance. 

Was  it  all  over  for  good?  Would  the  flood  dry  up 
in  a  few  days?  How  long  would  it  be  before  New 


1 82  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

York  would  be  free  of  water?  Were  they  going 
right  back  there?  Did  he  think  there  was  a  chance 
that  many  had  escaped  in  boats  and  ships?  Couldn't 
they  pick  up  the  survivors  if  they  hurried  back? 

Cosmo  tried  to  check  the  enthusiasm. 

"  It's  too  early  for  rejoicing,"  he  assured  them. 
It's  only  a  break  in  the  nebula.  We've  got  a  respite 
for  a  short  time,  but  there's  worse  coming.  The 
drowning  of  the  world  will  proceed.  We  are  the  only 
survivors,  except  perhaps  some  of  those  who  inhab 
ited  the  highlands.  Everything  less  than  2,400  feet 
above  the  former  level  of  the  sea  is  now  under  water. 
When  the  flood  begins  again  it  will  keep  on  until 
it  is  six  miles  deep  over  the  old  sea  margins." 

"  Why  not  go  back  and  try  to  rescue  those  who 
you  say  may  have  found  safety  on  the  highlands?  " 
asked  one. 

"  I  have  chosen  my  company,"  he  said,  "  and  I 
had  good  reasons  for  the  choice  I  made.  I  have  al 
ready  added  to  the  number,  because  simple  humanity 
compelled  me,  but  I  can  take  no  more.  The  quantity 
of  provisions  aboard  the  Ark  is  not  greater  than  will 
be  needed  by  ourselves.  If  the  rest  of  the  world  is 
drowned  it  is  not  my  fault.  I  did  my  best  to  warn 
them.  Besides,  we  could  do  nothing  in  the  way  of 
rescue  even  if  we  should  go  back  for  that  purpose. 
We  could  not  approach  the  submerged  plateaus.  We 
.would  be  aground  before  we  got  within  sight  of 
them." 


STRANGE  FREAKS  OF  THE  NEBULA  183 

These  words  went  far  to  change  the  current  of 
feeling  among  the  passengers.  When  they  learned 
that  there  would  be  danger  for  themselves  in  the 
course  that  had  been  proposed  their  humanity  proved 
to  be  less  strong  than  their  desire  for  self-preservation. 
Nevertheless,  as  we  shall  see,  the  Ark  ultimately  went 
back  to  America,  though  not  for  any  reason  that  had 
yet  been  suggested. 

Meanwhile  the  unexpected  respite  furnished  by  the 
sudden  cessation  of  the  downpour  from  the  sky  had 
other  important  results,  to  which  we  now  turn. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    ESCAPE    OF   THE    PRESIDENT 

"1T7HEN  Professor  Abiel  Pludder  indited  his  sav 
age  response  to  Cosmo  Versal's  invitation  to 
become  one  of  the  regenerators  of  mankind  by  em 
barking  in  the  Ark,  he  was  expressing  his  professional 
prejudice  rather  than  his  intellectual  conviction.  As 
Cosmo  had  remarked,  Pludder  had  a  good  brain  and 
great  scientific  acuteness,  and,  although  he  did  not 
believe  in  the  nebular  theory  of  a  flood,  and  was 
obstinately  opposed  to  everything  that  was  not  alto 
gether  regular  and  according  to  recognized  authority 
in  science,  yet  he  could  not  shut  his  eyes  to  the  fact 
that  something  was  going  wrong  in  the  machinery  of 
the  heavens.  But  it  annoyed  him  to  find  that  his 
own  explanations  were  always  falsified  by  the  event, 
while  Cosmo  Versal  seemed  to  have  a  superhuman 
foreglimpse  of  whatever  happened. 

His  pride  would  not  allow  him  to  recede  from  the 
position  that  he  had  taken,  but  he  could  not  free 
himself  from  a  certain  anxiety  about  the  future. 
After  he  had  refused  Cosmo  Versal's  invitation,  the 
course  of  events  strengthened  this  anxiety.  He 
found  that  the  official  meteorologists  were  totally  un- 

184 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  185 

able  to  account  for  the  marvelous  vagaries  of  the 
weather. 

Finally,  when  the  news  came  of  tremendous  floods 
in  the  north,  and  of  the  overflowing  of  Hudson  Bay, 
he  secretly  determined  to  make  some  preparations  of 
his  own.  He  still  rejected  the  idea  of  a  watery 
nebula,  but  he  began  to  think  it  possible  that  all  the 
lowlands  of  the  earth  might  be  overflowed  by  the 
sea,  and  by  the  melting  of  mountain  snows  and 
glaciers,  together  with  deluging  rainfall.  After  what 
had  passed,  he  could  not  think  of  making  any  public 
confession  of  his  change  of  heart,  but  his  sense  of 
humanity  compelled  him  to  give  confidential  warning 
to  his  friends  that  it  would  be  well  to  be  prepared  to 
get  on  high  ground  at  a  moment's  notice. 

He  was  on  the  point  of  issuing,  but  without  his 
signature,  an  official  statement  cautioning  the  public 
against  unprecedented  inundations,  when  the  first 
tidal  wave  arrived  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  rendered 
any  utterance  of  that  kind  unnecessary.  People's 
eyes  were  opened,  and  now  they  would  look  out  for 
themselves. 

Pludder's  private  preparations  amounted  to  no 
more  than  the  securing  of  a  large  express  aero,  in 
which,  if  the  necessity  for  suddenly  leaving  Washing 
ton  should  arise,  he  intended  to  take  fligh<-,  together 
with  President  Samson,  who  was  his  personal  friend, 
and  a  number  of  other  close  friends,  with  their  fam 
ilies.  He  did  not  think  that  it  would  be  necessary, 


1 86  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

in  any  event,  to  go  farther  than  the  mountains  of 
Virginia. 

The  rising  of  the  sea,  mounting  higher  at  each  re 
turn,  at  length  convinced  him  that  the  time  had  come 
to  get  away.  Hundreds  of  air  craft  had  already  de 
parted  westward,  not  only  from  Washington,  but 
from  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Boston, 
and  other  seaboard  cities,  before  Professor  Pludder 
assembled  his  friends  by  telephone  on  the  Capitol 
grounds,  where  his  aero  was  waiting. 

The  lower  streets  of  the  city  were  under  water 
from  the  overflow  of  the  Potomac,  which  was  backed 
up  by  the  influx  of  the  Atlantic  into  Chesapeake  Bay, 
and  the  most  distressing  scenes  were  enacted  there, 
people  fleeing  in  the  utmost  disorder  toward  higher 
ground,  carrying  their  children  and  some  of  their 
household  goods,  and  uttering  doleful  cries.  Many, 
thinking  that  the  best  way  to  escape,  embarked  in 
frail  boats  on  the  river,  which  was  running  up-stream 
with  frightful  velocity,  and  rising  perceptibly  higher 
every  second.  Most  of  these  boats  were  immediately 
overturned  or  swamped. 

If  the  start  had  been  delayed  but  a  little  longer, 
the  aero  would  have  been  mobbed  by  the  excited  peo 
ple,  who  uttered  yells  of  disappointment  and  rage 
when  they  saw  it  rise  from  its  tower  and  sail  over 
the  city.  It  was  the  last  airship  that  left  Washington, 
and  it  carried  the  last  persons  who  escaped  from  the 
national  capital  before  the  downpour  from  the  at- 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  187 

mosphere  began  which  put  an  end  to  all  possibility  of 
getting  away. 

There  were  on  board,  in  addition  to  a  crew  of 
three,  twenty-two  persons.  These  included  President 
Samson,  with  his  wife  and  three  children,  seven  other 
men  with  their  families,  making,  together,  sixteen 
persons,  and  Professor  Pludder,  who  had  no  family. 

More  because  they  wished  to  escape  from  the  pain 
ful  scenes  beneath  them  than  because  they  deemed 
that  there  was  any  occasion  for  particular  haste,  they 
started  off  at  high  speed,  and  it  was  probably  lucky 
for  them  that  this  speed  was  maintained  after  they  had 
left  Washington  out  of  sight.  They  rapidly  ap 
proached  the  Blue  Ridge  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Luray,  and  Pludder  was  about  to  order  a  landing 
there  as  night  was  approaching,  when  with  great  sud 
denness  the  sky  filled  with  dense  clouds  and  a  tre 
mendous  downpour  began.  This  was  the  same  phe 
nomenon  which  has  already  been  described  as  follow 
ing  closely  the  attack  at  New  York  on  Cosmo  Ver- 
sal's  Ark. 

The  aero,  luckily,  was  one  of  the  best  type,  and 
well  covered,  so  that  they  were  protected  from  the 
terrible  force  of  the  rain,  but  in  the  tumult  there  could 
be  no  more  thought  of  descending.  It  would  have 
been  impossible  to  make  a  landing  in  the  midst  of 
the  storm  and  the  pouring  water,  which  rushed  in 
torrents  down  the  mountainside.  Professor  Pludder 
was  a  brave  man  and  full  of  resources  when  driven 


1 88  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

into  a  corner.  Being  familiar  with  the  construction 
and  management  of  aeros,  for  he  had  been  educated 
as  an  engineer,  he  now  took  charge  of  the  airship. 

Within  twenty  minutes  after  the  sky  had  opened  its 
batteries — for  the  rain  had  almost  the  force  of  plung 
ing  shot — a  mighty  wind  arose,  and  the  aero,  pitch 
ing,  tossing,  and  dipping  like  a  mad  thing,  was  driven 
with  frightful  speed  eastward.  This  wild  rush  con 
tinued  for  more  than  an  hour.  By  this  time  it  was 
full  night,  and  the  pouring  rain  around  them  was 
as  impenetrable  to  the  sight  as  a  black  wall. 

They  had  their  electric  lamps  inside,  and  their 
searchlights,  but  it  was  impossible  to  tell  where  they 
were.  Pludder  turned  the  searchlight  downward,  but 
he  could  not  make  out  the  features  of  the  ground 
beneath  them.  It  is  likely  that  they  were  driven  at 
least  as  far  as  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  they  may  have 
passed  directly  over  Washington. 

At  last,  however,  the  wind  slewed  round,  and  be 
gan  to  blow  with  undiminished  violence  from  the 
northeast.  Plunging  and  swerving,  and  sometimes 
threatened  with  a  complete  somersault,  the  aero  hur 
ried  away  in  its  crazy  flight,  while  its  unfortunate  in 
mates  clung  to  one  another,  and  held  on  by  any  object 
within  reach,  in  the  endeavor  to  keep  from  being 
dashed  against  the  metallic  walls. 

The  crew  of  the  aero  were  picked  men,  but  no  ex 
perience  could  have  prepared  them  for  the  work  which 
they  now  had  to  do.  Without  the  ready  brain  of  Pro- 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  189 

fessor  Pludder  to  direct  their  efforts,  and  without  his 
personal  exertions,  their  aerial  ship  would  have  been 
wrecked  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  storm 
struck  it.  He  seemed  transformed  into  another  per 
son.  Hatless  and  coatless,  and  streaming  with  water, 
he  worked  like  a  demon.  He  was  ready  at  each 
emergency  with  some  device  which,  under  his  direc 
tion,  had  the  effect  of  magic. 

A  hundred  times  the  aero  plunged  for  the  ground, 
but  was  saved  and  turned  upward  again  just  as  it 
seemed  on  the  point  of  striking.  Up  and  down,  right 
and  left,  it  ran  and  pitched  and  whirled,  like  a  cork 
in  a  whirlpool.  Sometimes  it  actually  skimmed  the 
ground,  plowing  its  way  through  a  torrent  of  rushing 
water,  and  yet  it  rose  again  and  was  saved  from  de 
struction. 

This  terrible  contest  lasted  another  hour  after  the 
turning  of  the  wind,  and  then  the  latter  died  out. 
Relieved  from  its  pressure,  the  aero  ran  on  with  com 
parative  ease.  Professor  Pludder,  suspecting  that 
they  might  now  be  getting  into  a  mountainous  district, 
made  every  effort  to  keep  the  craft  at  a  high  elevation, 
and  this,  notwithstanding  the  depressing  force  of  the 
rain,  they  succeeded  in  doing.  After  the  dying  out 
of  the  wind  they  kept  on,  by  the  aid  of  their  pro 
pellers,  in  the  same  direction  in  which  it  had  been 
driving  them,  because,  in  the  circumstances,  one  way 
was  as  good  as  another. 

The  terrible  discomfort  of  the  President  and  his 


190  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

companions  in  the  cabin  of  the  aero  was  greatly  re 
lieved  by  the  cessation  of  the  wind,  but  still  they  were 
in  a  most  unfortunate  state.  The  rain,  driven  by  the 
fierce  blasts,  had  penetrated  through  every  crevice, 
and  they  were  drenched  to  the  skin.  No  one  tried 
to  speak,  for  it  would  have  been  almost  impossible 
to  make  oneself  heard  amid  the  uproar.  They  simply 
looked  at  one  another  in  dismay  and  prayed  for  safety. 

Professor  Pludder,  not  now  compelled  to  spend 
every  moment  in  the  management  of  the  craft,  en 
tered  the  cabin  occasionally,  pressed  the  hand  of  the 
President,  smiled  encouragingly  on  the  women  and 
children,  and  did  all  he  could,  in  pantomime,  to  re 
store  some  degree  of  confidence.  Inside,  the  lights 
were  aglow,  but  outside  it  was  as  dark  as  pitch,  ex 
cept  where  the  broad  finger  of  the  searchlight,  plung 
ing  into  the  mass  of  tumbling  water,  glittered  and 
flashed. 

The  awful  night  seemed  endless,  but  at  last  a  pale 
illumination  appeared  in  the  air,  and  they  knew  that 
day  had  come.  The  spectacle  of  the  skyey  deluge  was 
now  so  terrible  that  it  struck  cold  even  to  their  al 
ready  benumbed  hearts.  The  atmosphere  seemed  to 
have  been  turned  into  a  mighty  cataract  thundering 
down  upon  the  whole  face  of  the  earth.  Now  that 
they  could  see  as  well  as  hear,  the  miracle  of  the 
preservation  of  the  aero  appeared  incredible. 

As  the  light  slowly  brightened,  Professor  Pludder, 
constantly  on  the  outlook,  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  dark, 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT   191 

misty  object  ahead.  It  loomed  up  so  suddenly,  and 
was  already  so  close,  that  before  he  could  sufficiently 
alter  the  course  of  the  aero,  it  struck  with  such  vio 
lence  as  to  crush  the  forward  end  of  the  craft  and 
break  one  of  the  aeroplanes.  Everybody  was  pitched 
headforemost,  those  inside  falling  on  the  flooring, 
while  Pludder  and  the  three  men  of  the  crew  were 
thrown  out  upon  a  mass  of  rocks.  All  were  more  or 
less  seriously  injured,  but  none  was  killed  or  totally 
disabled. 

Pludder  sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  slipping  and  plung 
ing  amid  the  downpour,  managed  to  get  back  to  the 
wreck  and  aid  the  President  and  the  others  to  get  upon 
their  feet. 

;'  We're  lodged  on  a  mountain  !  "  he  yelled.  "  Stay 
inside,  under  the  shelter  of  the  roof !  " 

The  three  men  who,  together  with  the  professor, 
had  been  precipitated  out  among  the  rocks,  also 
scrambled  in,  and  there  they  stood,  or  sat,  the  most 
disconsolate  and  despairing  group  of  human  beings 
that  ever  the  eye  of  an  overseeing  Providence  looked 
down  upon. 

The  President  presented  the  most  pitiable  sight  of 
all.  Like  the  rest,  his  garments  were  sopping,  his 
eyes  were  bloodshot,  his  face  was  ghastly,  and  his 
tall  silk  hat,  which  he  had  jammed  down  upon  his 
brow,  had  been  softened  by  the  water  and  crushed  by 
repeated  blows  into  the  form  of  a  closed  accordion. 
Of  the  women  and  children  it  is  needless  to  speak; 


192  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

no  description  could  convey  an  idea  of  their  condi 
tion. 

In  these  circumstances,  the  real  strength  of  Pro 
fessor  Abiel  Pludder's  mind  was  splendidly  displayed. 
He  did  not  lose  his  head,  and  he  comprehended  the 
situation,  and  what  it  was  necessary  to  do,  in  a  flash. 
He  got  out  some  provisions  and  distributed  them  to 
the  company,  in  some  cases  actually  forcing  them  to 
eat.  With  his  own  hands  he  prepared  coffee,  with 
the  apparatus  always  carried  by  express  aeros,  and 
made  them  drink  it. 

When  all  had  thus  been  refreshed  he  approached 
President  Samson  and  shouted  in  his  ear: 

"  We  shall  have  to  stay  here  until  the  downpour 
ceases.  To  guard  against  the  effects  of  a  tempest,  if 
one  should  arise,  we  must  secure  the  aero  in  its  place. 
For  that  I  need  the  aid  of  every  man  in  the  party. 
We  have,  fortunately,  struck  in  a  spot  on  the  moun 
tain  where  we  are  out  of  the  way  of  the  torrents  of 
water  that  are  pouring  down  through  the  ravines  on 
either  side.  We  can  make  our  lodgment  secure,  but 
we  must  go  to  work  immediately." 

Stimulated  by  his  example,  the  President  and  the 
others  set  to  work,  and  with  great  difficulty,  for  they 
had  to  guard  their  eyes  and  nostrils  from  the  driving 
rain,  which,  sometimes,  in  spite  of  their  precautions, 
nearly  smothered  them,  they  succeeded  in  fastening 
the  aero  to  the  rocks  by  means  of  metallic  cables 
taken  from  its  stores.  When  this  work  was  finished 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT   193 

they  returned  under  the  shelter  of  the  cabin  roof  and 
lay  down  exhausted.  So  worn  out  were  they  that 
all  of  them  quickly  fell  into  a  troubled  sleep. 

It  would  be  needless  to  relate  in  detail  the  suffer 
ings,  mental  and  physical,  that  they  underwent  during 
the  next  ten  days.  While  they  were  hanging  there  on 
the  mountain  the  seaboard  cities  of  the  world  were 
drowned,  and  Cosmo  VersaTs  Ark  departed  on  the 
remarkable  voyage  that  has  been  described  in  a  former 
chapter.  They  had  plenty  of  provisions,  for  the  aero 
had  been  well  stored,  but  partly  through  precaution 
and  partly  because  of  lack  of  appetite  they  ate  spar 
ingly.  The  electric  generators  of  the  aero  had  not 
been  injured  in  the  wreck  of  the  craft,  and  they  were 
able  to  supply  themselves  with  sufficient  heat,  and 
with  light  inside  the  cabin  at  night. 

Once  they  had  a  strange  visitor — a  half-drowned 
bear,  which  had  struggled  up  the  mountain  from  its 
den  somewhere  below — but  that  was  the  only  living 
creature  beside  themselves  that  they  saw.  After  gaz 
ing  wistfully  at  the  aero  from  the  top  of  a  rock  the 
poor  bear,  fighting  the  choking  rain  with  its  soaked 
paws,  stumbled  into  one  of  the  torrents  that  poured 
furiously  down  on  each  side,  and  was  swept  from  their 
sight. 

Fortunately,  the  wind  that  they  had  anticipated  did 
not  come,  but  frequently  they  saw  or  heard  the  roar 
ing  downpours  of  solid  watery  columns  like  those  that 
had  so  much  astonished  Cosmo  Versal  and  Captain 


194  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Arms  in  the  midst  of  the  Atlantic,  but  none  came 
very  near  them. 

Professor  Pludder  ventured  out  from  time  to  time, 
clambering  a  little  way  up  and  down  the  projecting 
ridge  of  the  mountain  on  which  they  were  lodged, 
and  at  length  was  able  to  assure  his  companions  that 
they  were  on  the  northwestern  face  of  Mount 
Mitchell,  the  highest  peak  of  the  Appalachian  range. 
With  the  aid  of  his  pocket  aneroid,  making  allow 
ance  for  the  effect  of  the  lifting  of  the  whole  atmos 
phere  by  the  flood,  and  summoning  his  knowledge 
of  the  locality — for  he  had  explored,  in  former 
years,  all  the  mountains  in  this  region — he  arrived  at 
the  conclusion  that  their  place  of  refuge  was  elevated 
about  four  thousand  feet  above  the  former  level  of 
the  sea. 

At  first  their  range  of  vision  did  not  allow  them 
to  see  the  condition  of  the  valleys  below  them,  but 
as  the  water  crept  higher  it  gradually  came  into  view. 
It  rose  steadily  up  the  slopes  beneath,  which  had  al 
ready  been  stripped  of  their  covering  of  trees  and 
vegetation  by  the  force  of  the  descending  torrents, 
until  on  the  tenth  day  it  had  arrived  almost  within 
reach.  Since,  as  has  just  been  said,  they  were  four 
thousand  feet  above  the  former  level  of  the  sea,  it 
will  be  observed  that  the  water  must  have  been  rising 
much  more  rapidly  than  the  measurements  of  Cosmo 
Versal  indicated.  Its  average  rate  of  rise  had  been 
three  instead  of  two  inches  per  minute,  and  the  world 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  195 

was  buried  deeper  than  Cosmo  thought.  The  cause 
of  his  error  will  be  explained  later. 

The  consternation  of  the  little  party  when  they 
thus  beheld  the  rapid  drowning  of  the  world  below 
them,  and  saw  no  possibility  of  escape  for  themselves 
if  the  water  continued  to  advance,  as  it  evidently 
would  do,  cannot  be  depicted.  Some  of  them  were 
driven  insane,  and  were  with  difficulty  prevented  by 
those  who  retained  their  senses  from  throwing  them 
selves  into  the  flood. 

Pludder  was  the  only  one  who  maintained  a  com 
mand  over  his  nerves,  although  he  now  at  last  believed 
in  the  nebula.  He  recognized  that  there  was  no  other 
possible  explanation  of  the  flood  than  that  which 
Cosmo  Versal  had  offered  long  before  it  began.  In 
his  secret  heart  he  had  no  expectation  of  ultimate  es 
cape,  yet  he  was  strong  enough  to  continue  to  encour 
age  his  companions  with  hopes  which  he  could  not 
himself  entertain. 

When,  after  nightfall  on  the  tenth  day,  the  water 
began  to  lap  the  lower  parts  of  the  aero,  he  was  on 
the  point  of  persuading  the  party  to  clamber  up  the 
rocks  in  search  of  some  shelter  above,  but  as  he 
stepped  out  of  the  door  of  the  cabin  to  reconnoiter  the 
way,  with  the  aid  of  the  searchlight  which  he  had 
turned  up  along  the  ridge,  he  was  astonished  to  find 
the  rain  rapidly  diminishing  in  force;  and  a  few  min 
utes  later  it  ceased  entirely,  and  the  stars  shone  out. 

The  sudden  cessation  of  the  roar  upon  the  roof 


196  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

brought  everybody  to  their  feet,  and  before  Professor 
Pludder  could  communicate  the  good  news  all  were 
out  under  the  sky,  rejoicing  and  offering  thanks  for 
their  deliverance.  The  women  were  especially  af 
fected.  They  wept  in  one  another's  arms,  or  con 
vulsively  clasped  their  children  to  their  breasts. 

At  length  the  President  found  his  voice. 

"  What  has  happened?  "  he  asked. 

Professor  Pludder,  with  the  new  light  that  had 
come  to  him,  was  as  ready  with  an  explanation  as 
Cosmo  Versal  himself  had  been  under  similar  cir 
cumstances. 

"  We  must  have  run  out  of  the  nebula." 

"  The  nebula !  "  returned  Mr.  Samson  in  surprise. 
"  Has  there  been  a  nebula,  then?  " 

"  Without  question,"  was  the  professor's  answer. 
"  Nothing  but  an  encounter  with  a  watery  nebula 
could  have  had  such  a  result." 

"  But  you  always  said—      "  began  the  President. 

"  Yes,"  Pludder  broke  in,  "  but  one  may  be  in 
error  sometimes." 

"  Then,  Cosmo  Versal " 

"  Let  us  not  discuss  Cosmo  Versal,"  exclaimed 
Professor  Pludder,  with  a  return  of  his  old  dicta 
torial  manner. 


CHAPTER  XV 

PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE 


dawned  brilliantly  on  Mount  Mit- 
chell  and  revealed  to  the  astonished  eyes  of  the 
watchers  an  endless  expanse  of  water,  gleaming  and 
sparkling  in  the  morning  sunlight.  It  was  a  spectacle 
at  once  beautiful  and  fearful,  and  calculated  to  make 
their  hearts  sink  with  pity  no  less  than  with  terror. 
But  for  a  time  they  were  distracted  from  the  awful 
thoughts  which  such  a  sight  must  inspire  by  anxiety 
concerning  themselves.  They  could  not  drive  away 
the  fear  that,  at  any  moment,  the  awful  clouds  might 
return  and  the  terrible  downpour  be  resumed. 

But  Professor  Pludder,  whose  comprehension  of 
the  cause  of  the  deluge  was  growing  clearer  the  more 
he  thought  about  it,  did  not  share  the  anxiety  of  the 
President  and  the  others. 

"  The  brightness  of  the  sky,"  he  said,  "  shows  that 
there  is  no  considerable  quantity  of  condensing  vapor 
left  in  the  atmosphere.  If  the  earth  has  run  out  of 
the  nebula,  that  is  likely  to  be  the  end  of  the  thing. 
If  there  is  more  of  the  nebulous  matter  in  surround 
ing  space  we  may  miss  it  entirely,  or,  if  not,  a  long 
time  would  elapse  before  we  came  upon  it. 

197 


198  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  The  gaps  that  exist  in  nebulae  are  millions  of 
miles  across,  and  the  earth  would  require  days  and 
weeks  to  go  such  distances,  granting  that  it  were 
traveling  in  the  proper  direction.  I  think  it  altogether 
probable  that  this  nebula,  which  must  be  a  small  one 
as  such  things  go,  consists  of  a  single  mass,  and  that, 
having  traversed  it,  we  are  done  with  it.  We  are  out 
of  our  troubles." 

"  Well,  hardly,"  said  the  President.  "  Here  we 
are,  prisoners  on  a  mountain,  with  no  way  of  getting 
down,  the  whole  land  beneath  being  turned  into  a 
sea.  We  can't  stay  here  indefinitely.  For  how  long 
a  time  are  we  provisioned?  " 

"  We  have  compressed  food  enough  to  last  this 
party  a  month,"  replied  Professor  Pludder;  "  that  is 
to  say,  if  we  are  sparing  of  it.  For  water  we  cannot 
lack,  since  this  that  surrounds  us  is  not  salt,  and  if 
it  were  we  could  manage  to  distil  it.  But,  of  course, 
when  I  said  we  were  out  of  our  troubles  I  meant  only 
that  there  was  no  longer  any  danger  of  being  swal 
lowed  up  by  the  flood.  It  is  true  that  we  cannot  think 
of  remaining  here.  We  must  get  off." 

"  But  how?    Where  can  we  go?  " 

Professor  Pludder  thought  a  long  time  before  he 
answered  this  question.  Finally  he  said,  measuring 
his  words: 

"  The  water  is  four  thousand  feet  above  the  former 
level  of  the  sea.  There  is  no  land  sufficiently  lofty  to 
rise  above  it  this  side  of  the  Colorado  plateau." 


PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE    199 

"And  how  far  is  that?" 

"  Not  less  than  eleven  hundred  miles  in  an  air 
line." 

The  President  shuddered. 

"  Then,  all  this  vast  country  of  ours  from  here  to 
the  feet  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  is  now  under  water 
thousands  of  feet  deep !  " 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  it.  The  Atlantic  Coast 
States,  the  Southern  States,  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  Canada  are  now 
a  part  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean." 

"And  all  the  great  cities — gone!  Merciful  Fa 
ther!  What  a  thought!  " 

The  President  mused  for  a  time,  and  gradually  a 
frown  came  upon  his  brow.  He  glanced  at  Professor 
Pludder  with  a  singular  look.  Then  his  cheek  red 
dened,  and  an  angry  expression  came  into  his  eyes. 
Suddenly  he  turned  to  the  professor  and  said  sternly: 

"  You  said  you  did  not  wish  to  discuss  Cosmo  Ver- 
sal.  I  should  not  think  you  would !  Who  predicted 
this  deluge?  Did  you?  " 

"  I—  "  began  Professor  Pludder,  taken  aback  by 
the  President's  manner. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  interrupted  the  President,  "  I  know 
what  you  would  say.  You  didn't  predict  it  because 
you  didn't  see  it  coming.  But  why  didn't  you  see  it? 
What  have  we  got  observatories  and  scientific  so 
cieties  for  if  they  can't  see  or  comprehend  anything? 
Didn't  Cosmo  Versal  warn  you?  Didn't  he  tell  you 


200  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

where  to  look,  and  what  to  look  for?    Didn't  he  show 
you  his  proofs?  " 

"  We  thought  they  were  fallacious,"  stammered 
Professor  Pludder. 

"  You  thought  they  were  fallacious — well,  were 
they  fallacious?  Does  this  spectacle  of  a  nation 
drowned  look  '  fallacious  '  to  you?  Why  didn't  you 
study  the  matter  until  you  understood  it?  Why 
did  you  issue  officially,  and  with  my  ignorant 
sanction — may  God  forgive  me  for  my  blindness  !— 
statement  after  statement,  assuring  the  people  that 
there  was  no  danger — statements  that  were  even 
abusive  toward  him  who  alone  should  have  been 
heard? 

"  And  yet,  as  now  appears,  you  knew  nothing  about 
it.  Millions  upon  millions  have  perished  through 
your  obstinate  opposition  to  the  truth.  They  might 
have  saved  themselves  if  they  had  been  permitted  to 
listen  to  the  many  times  reiterated  warnings  of  Cosmo 
Versal. 

"  Oh,  if  /  had  only  listened  to  him,  and  issued  a 
proclamation  as  he  urged  me  to  do !  But  I  followed 
your  advice — you,  in  whose  learning  and  pretended 
science  I  put  blind  faith  !  Abiel  Pludder,  I  would  not 
have  upon  my  soul  the  weight  that  now  rests  on  yours 
for  all  the  wealth  that  the  lost  world  carried  down 
into  its  watery  grave!  " 

As  the  President  ceased  speaking  he  turned  away 
and  sank  upon  a  rock,  pressing  his  hands  upon  his 


PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE    201 

throat  to  suppress  the  sobs  that  broke  forth  despite 
his  efforts.  His  form  shook  like  an  aspen. 

The  others  crowded  around  excitedly,  some  of  the 
women  in  hysterics,  and  the  men  not  knowing  what 
to  do  or  say.  Professor  Pludder,  completely  over 
whelmed  by  the  suddenness  and  violence  of  the  at 
tack,  went  off  by  himself  and  sat  down  with  his  head 
in  his  hands.  After  a  while  he  arose  and  approached 
the  President,  who  had  not  moved  from  his  place 
on  the  rock. 

"  George,"  he  said — they  had  known  each  other 
from  boyhood — "  I  have  made  a  terrible  mistake. 
And  yet  I  was  not  alone  in  it.  The  majority  of  my 
colleagues  were  of  my  opinion,  as  were  all  the  learned 
societies  of  Europe.  No  such  thing  as  a  watery 
nebula  has  ever  been  known  to  science.  It  was  in 
conceivable." 

"  Some  of  your  colleagues  did  not  think  so,"  said 
the  President,  looking  up. 

"  But  they  were  not  really  convinced,  and  they  were 
aware  that  they  were  flying  in  the  face  of  all  known 
laws." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  the  President  dryly,  "  that 
science  does  not  know  all  the  laws  of  the  universe 
yet." 

"  I  repeat,"  resumed  Professor  Pludder,  "  that  I 
made  a  fearful  mistake.  I  have  recognized  the  truth 
too  late.  I  accept  the  awful  burden  of  blame  that 
rests  upon  me,  and  I  now  wish  to  do  everything  in  my 


202  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

power  to  retrieve  the  consequences  of  my  terrible 
error." 

The  President  arose  and  grasped  the  professor's 
hand. 

"  Forgive  me,  Abiel,"  he  said,  with  emotion,  "  if 
I  have  spoken  too  much  in  the  manner  of  a  judge 
pronouncing  sentence.  I  was  overwhelmed  by  the 
thought  of  the  inconceivable  calamity  that  has  come 
upon  us.  I  believe  that  you  acted  conscientiously  and 
according  to  your  best  lights,  and  it  is  not  for  any 
mortal  to  judge  you  for  an  error  thus  committed. 
Let  us  think  only  of  what  we  must  do  now." 

'  To  that  thought,"  responded  Professor  Pludder, 
returning  the  pressure  of  the  President's  hand,  "  I 
shall  devote  all  my  energy.  If  I  can  save  only  this 
little  party  I  shall  have  done  something  in  the  way 
of  atonement." 

It  was  a  deep  humiliation  for  a  man  of  Professor 
Pludder's  proud  and  uncompromising  nature  to  con 
fess  that  he  had  committed  an  error  more  fearful 
in  its  consequences  than  had  ever  been  laid  at  the  door 
of  a  human  being,  but  Cosmo  Versal  had  rightly 
judged  him  when  he  assured  Joseph  Smith  that  Plud 
der  was  morally  sound,  and,  in  a  scientific  sense,  had 
the  root  of  the  matter  in  him.  When  his  mental 
vision  was  clear,  and  unclouded  by  prejudice,  no  one 
was  more  capable  of  high  achievements. 

He  quickly  proved  his  capacity  now,  as  he  had 
already  proved  it  during  the  preceding  adventures  of 


PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE    203 

the  President's  party.  It  was  perfectly  plain  to  him 
that  their  only  chance  was  in  getting  to  Colorado  at 
the  earliest  possible  moment.  The  eastern  part  of 
the  continent  was  hopelessly  buried,  and  even  on  the 
high  plains  of  the  Middle  West  the  fury  of  the  down 
pour  might  have  spread  universal  disaster  and  de 
stroyed  nearly  all  the  vegetation ;  but,  in  any  event,  it 
was  there  alone  that  the  means  of  prolonging  life 
could  be  sought. 

With  the  problem  squarely  before  his  mind,  he 
was  not  long  in  finding  a  solution.  His  first  step 
was  to  make  a  thorough  examination  of  the  aero,  with 
the  hope  that  the  damage  that  it  had  suffered  might 
be  reparable.  He  had  all  the  tools  that  would  be 
needed,  as  it  was  the  custom  for  express  aeros  to  carry 
a  complete  equipment  for  repairs;  but  unfortunately 
one  of  the  planes  of  the  aero  was  wrecked  beyond 
the  possibility  of  repair.  He  knew  upon  what  deli 
cate  adjustments  the  safety  of  the  modern  airship  de 
pended,  and  he  did  not  dare  undertake  a  voyage  with 
a  lame  craft. 

Then  the  idea  occurred  to  him  of  trying  to  escape 
by  water.  The  aero  was  a  machine  of  the  very  latest 
type,  and  made  of  levium,  consequently  it  would 
float  better  than  wood. 

If  the  opposition  of  shipbuilders,  incited  and 
backed  by  selfish  interests,  had  not  prevented  the  em 
ployment  of  levium  in  marine  construction,  millions 
of  lives  might  now  have  been  saved;  but,  as  we  have 


204  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

before  said,  only  a  few  experimental  boats  of  levium 
had  been  made. 

Moreover,  like  all  aeros  intended  for  long  trips, 
this  one  had  what  was  called  a  "  boat-bottom,"  in 
tended  to  enable  it  to  remain  afloat  with  its  burden 
in  case  of  an  accidental  fall  into  a  large  body  of  water. 
Pludder  saw  that  this  fact  would  enable  him  to  turn 
the  wreck  into  a  raft. 

It  would  only  be  necessary  to  reshape  the  craft 
a  little,  and  this  was  the  easier  because  the  aero  was 
put  together  in  such  a  manner  with  screw-bolts  and 
nuts  that  it  could  be  articulated  or  disarticulated  as 
readily  as  a  watch.  He  had  entire  confidence  in  his 
engineering  skill,  and  in  the  ability  of  the  three  ex 
perienced  men  of  the  crew  to  aid  him.  He  decided 
to  employ  the  planes  for  outriders,  which  would  serve 
to  increase  the  buoyancy  and  stability. 

As  soon  as  he  had  completed  his  plan  in  his  mind 
he  explained  his  intentions  to  the  President.  The 
latter  and  the  other  members  of  the  party  were  at 
first  as  much  startled  as  surprised  by  the  idea  of  em 
barking  on  a  voyage  of  eleven  hundred  miles  in  so 
questionable  a  craft,  but  Professor  Pludder  assured 
them  that  everything  would  go  well. 

"  But  how  about  the  propulsion?  "  asked  Mr.  Sam 
son.  "  You  can't  depend  on  the  wind,  and  we've  got 
no  sails." 

"  I  have  thought  that  all  out,"  said  Pludder.  "  I 
shall  use  the  engine,  and  rearrange  one  of  the  aerial 


PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE    205 

screws  so  that  it  will  serve  for  a  propeller.  I  do  not 
expect  to  get  up  any  great  speed,  but  if  we  can  make 
only  as  much  as  two  miles  an  hour  we  shall  arrive  on 
the  borders  of  the  Colorado  upland,  five  thousand  feet 
above  sea,  within  about  twenty-three  days.  We 
may  be  able  to  do  better  than  that." 

Nobody  felt  much  confidence  in  this  scheme  except 
its  inventor,  but  it  appeared  to  be  the  only  thing  that 
could  be  done,  and  so  they  all  fell  to  work,  each 
aiding  as  best  he  could,  and  after  four  days  of  hard 
work  the  remarkable  craft  was  ready  for  its  adven 
turous  voyage. 

Professor  Pludder  had  succeeded  even  better  than 
he  anticipated  in  transforming  one  of  the  aerial  screws 
into  a  propeller.  Its  original  situation  was  such  that 
it  naturally,  as  it  were,  fell  into  the  proper  place  when 
the  "  hull  "  was  partly  submerged,  and,  the  blades 
being  made  of  concentric  rows  of  small  plates,  there 
was  no  difficulty  in  reducing  them  to  a  manageable 
size.  The  position  of  the  engine  did  not  need  to  be 
be  shifted  at  all. 

The  "  outriders,"  made  up  of  the  discarded  planes, 
promised  to  serve  their  purpose  well,  and  the  cabin 
remained  for  a  comfortable  "  deck-house."  A  rudder 
had  been  contrived  by  an  alteration  of  the  one  which 
had  served  for  guiding  the  aero  in  its  flights. 

The  water  was  close  to  their  feet,  and  there  was 
no  great  difficulty  in  pushing  the  affair  off  the  rocks 
and  getting  it  afloat  The  women  and  children  were 


206  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

first  put  aboard,  and  then  the  men  scrambled  in,  and 
Pludder  set  the  motors  going.  The  improvised  pro 
peller  churned  and  spluttered,  but  it  did  its  work  after 
a  fashion,  and,  under  a  blue  sky,  in  dazzling  sunshine, 
with  a  soft  southerly  breeze  fanning  the  strange  sea 
that  spread  around  them,  they  soon  saw  the  bared 
rocks  and  deeply  scored  flanks  of  Mount  Mitchell 
receding  behind  them. 

They  were  delighted  to  find  that  they  were  making, 
at  the  very  start,  no  less  than  three  miles  an  hour. 
Pludder  clapped  his  hands  and  exclaimed  : 

'  This  is  capital !  In  but  little  over  two  weeks  we 
shall  be  safe  on  the  great  plains.  I  have  good  hope 
that  many  have  survived  there,  and  that  we  shall  find 
a  plenty  of  everything  needed.  With  the  instruments 
that  were  aboard  the  aero  I  can  make  observations  to 
determine  our  position,  and  I  shall  steer  for  the  Pike's 
Peak  region." 

When  the  party  had  become  accustomed  to  their 
situation,  and  had  gained  confidence  in  their  craft 
by  observing  how  buoyantly  it  bore  them,  they  became 
almost  cheerful  in  their  demeanor.  The  children 
gradually  lost  all  fear,  and,  with  the  thoughtless  joy 
of  childhood  in  the  pleasures  and  wonders  of  the  pres 
ent  moment,  amused  themselves  in  the  cabin,  and 
about  the  deck,  which  had  been  surrounded  with 
guard  lines  made  of  wire  cable. 

The  water  was  almost  waveless,  and,  if  no  storm 
should  arise,  there  appeared  to  be  no  reason  for 


PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE    207 

anxiety  concerning  the  outcome  of  their  adventure. 
But  as  they  drove  slowly  on  over  the  submerged  range 
of  the  Great  Smokies,  and  across  the  valleys  of  East 
ern  Tennessee,  and  then  over  the  Cumberland  range, 
and  so  out  above  the  lowlands,  they  could  not  keep 
their  thoughts  from  turning  to  what  lay  beneath  that 
fearful  ocean.  And  occasionally  something  floated 
to  the  surface  that  wrenched  their  heart-strings  and 
caused  them  to  avert  their  faces. 

Professor  Pludder  kept  them  informed  of  their  lo 
cation.  Now  they  were  over  central  Tennessee;  now 
Nashville  lay  more  than  three  thousand  feet  beneath 
their  keel;  now  they  were  crossing  the  valley  of  the 
Tennessee  River;  now  the  great  Mississippi  was  un 
der  them,  hidden  deep  beneath  the  universal  flood; 
now  they  were  over  the  highlands  of  southern  Mis 
souri  ;  and  now  over  those  of  Kansas. 

"  George,"  said  Professor  Pludder  one  day,  ad 
dressing  the  President,  with  more  emotion  than  was 
often  to  be  detected  in  his  voice,  "  would  you  like  to 
know  what  is  beneath  us  now?  " 

"What  is  it,  Abiel?" 
1  Our  boyhood  home — Wichita." 

The  President  bowed  his  head  upon  his  hands  and 
groaned. 

"  Yes,"  continued  Professor  Pludder  musingly, 
"  there  it  lies,  three  thousand  feet  deep.  There  is 
the  Arkansas,  along  whose  banks  we  used  to  play, 
with  its  golden  waters  now  mingling  feebly  with  the 


208  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

mighty  flood  that  covers  them.  There  is  the  school- 
house  and  the  sandy  road  where  we  ran  races  barefoot 
in  the  hot  summer  dust.  There  is  your  father's  house, 
and  mine,  and  the  homes  of  all  our  early  friends— 
and  where  are  they?  Would  to  God  that  I  had  not 
been  so  blind !  " 

"  But  there  was  another  not  so  blind,"  said  the 
President,  with  something  of  the  condemnatory 
manner  of  his  former  speech. 

"  I  know  it — I  know  it  too  well  now,"  returned  the 
professor.  "  But  do  not  condemn  me,  George,  for 
what  I  did  not  foresee  and  could  not  help." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  said  the  President  sadly,  "  that  you 
have  awakened  these  old  memories.  But  I  do  not 
condemn  you,  though  I  condemn  your  science — or 
your  lack  of  science.  But  we  can  do  nothing.  Let 
us  speak  of  it  no  more." 

The  weather  was  wonderful,  considering  what  had 
so  recently  occurred.  No  clouds  formed  in  the  sky, 
there  was  only  a  gentle  breeze  stirring,  at  night  the 
heavens  glittered  with  starry  gems,  and  by  day  the 
sun  shone  so  hotly  that  awnings  were  spread  over 
those  whose  duties  required  them  to  be  employed 
outside  the  shelter  of  the  cabin.  The  improvised 
propeller  and  rudder  worked  to  admiration,  and  some 
days  they  made  as  much  as  eighty  miles  in  the  twenty- 
four  hours. 

At  length,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  their  strange 
voyage,  they  caught  sight  of  a  curiously  shaped 


PROFESSOR  PLUDDER'S  DEVICE    209 

"  pike "  that  projected  above  the  horizon  far  to 
the  west  At  the  same  time  they  saw,  not  far  away 
toward  the  north  and  toward  the  south,  a  low  line, 
like  a  sea-beach. 

'  We  are  getting  into  shallow  water  now,"  said 
Professor  Pludder.  "  I  have  been  following  the 
course  of  the  Arkansas  in  order  to  be  sure  of  a  suf 
ficient  depth,  but  now  we  must  be  very  careful.  We 
are  close  to  the  site  of  Las  Animas,  which  is  sur 
rounded  with  land  rising  four  thousand  feet  above 
sea-level.  If  we  should  get  aground  there  would  be 
no  hope  for  us.  That  pike  in  the  distance  is  Pike's 
Peak." 

"  And  what  is  that  long  line  of  beach  that  stretches 
on  the  north  and  south?  "  asked  the  President. 

"  It  is  the  topographic  line  of  four  thousand  feet," 
replied  the  professor. 

"  And  we  shall  encounter  it  ahead?  " 

'  Yes,  it  makes  a  curve  about  Las  Animas,  and 
then  the  land  lies  at  an  average  elevation  of  four 
thousand  feet,  until  it  takes  another  rise  beyond 
Pueblo." 

"  But  we  cannot  sail  across  this  half-submerged 
area,"  said  the  President. 

'  There  are  depressions,"  Professor  Pludder  re 
sponded,  "  and  I  hope  to  be  able  to  follow  their  traces 
until  we  reach  land  that  still  lies  well  above  the 
water." 

Near  nightfall  they  got  so  close  to  the  "  beach  " 


210  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

that  they  could  hear  the  surf,  not  a  thundering  sound, 
but  a  soft,  rippling  wash  of  the  slight  waves.  The 
water  about  them  was  ruddy  with  thick  sediment. 
Professor  Pludder  did  not  dare  to  venture  farther  in 
the  coming  darkness,  and  he  dropped  overboard  two 
of  the  aero's  grapples,  which  he  had  heavily  weighted 
and  attached  to  wire  cables.  They  took  the  ground 
at  a  depth  of  only  ten  feet.  There  was  no  wind  and 
no  perceptible  current,  and  so  they  rode  all  night  at 
anchor  off  this  strangest  of  coasts. 

At  daybreak  they  lifted  their  anchors,  and  went  in 
search  of  the  depressions  of  which  the  professor  had 
spoken.  So  accurate  was  his  topographic  knowledge 
and  so  great  his  skill,  that  late  in  the  afternoon  they 
saw  a  tall  chimney  projecting  above  the  water  a  little 
ahead. 

"  There's  all  that  remains  of  Pueblo,"  said  Pro 
fessor  Pludder. 

They  anchored  again  that  night,  and  the  next  day, 
cautiously  approaching  a  bluff  that  arose  precipitously 
from  the  water,  their  hearts  were  gladdened  by  the 
sight  of  three  men,  standing  on  a  bluff,  excitedly  beck 
oning  to  them,  and  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

MUTINY  IN  THE   ARK 

"1T7E  left  Cosmo  Versal  and  his  arkful  of  the 
flower  of  mankind  in  the  midst  of  what  was 
formerly  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  but  which  had  now  ex 
panded  over  so  many  millions  of  square  miles  that  had 
once  been  the  seats  of  vast  empires  that  to  an  eye 
looking  at  it  with  a  telescope  from  Mars  it  would 
have  been  unrecognizable. 

All  of  eastern  North  America,  all  of  South  Amer 
ica  to  the  feet  of  the  Andes,  all  but  the  highest  moun 
tains  of  Europe,  nearly  all  of  Africa,  except  some  of 
the  highlands  of  the  south,  all  of  northern  and  south 
western  Asia,  as  well  as  the  peninsula  of  India,  all 
of  China  and  the  adjacent  lands  and  islands  except 
the  lofty  peaks,  the  whole  of  Australia,  and  the  archi 
pelagoes  of  the  Pacific,  had  become  parts  of  the  floor 
of  a  mighty  ocean  which  rolled  unbroken  from  pole 
to  pole. 

The  Great  Deep  had  resumed  its  ancient  reign, 
and  what  was  left  of  the  habitable  globe  presented  to 
view  only  far  separated  islands  and  the  serrated  tops 
of  such  ranges  as  the  Alps,  the  Caucasus,  the  Hima 
layas,  and  the  Andes.  The  astonished  inhabitants  of 

211 


212  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  ocean  depths  now  swam  over  the  ruins  of  great 
cities,  and  brushed  with  their  fins  the  chiseled  capitals 
of  columns  that  had  supported  the  proudest  structures 
of  human  hands. 

We  have  seen  how  the  unexpected  arrest  of  the 
flood  had  left  Cosmo  uncertain  as  to  the  course  that 
he  ought  to  pursue.  But  he  did  not  long  remain  in 
doubt.  He  was  sure  that  the  downpour  would  be 
resumed  after  an  interval  which  at  the  most  could 
not  exceed  a  few  weeks,  and  he  resolved  to  continue 
his  way  toward  the  future  land  of  promise  in  Asia. 

But  he  thought  that  he  would  have  time  to  turn 
his  prow  in  the  direction  of  Europe,  for  he  felt  a 
great  desire  to  know  by  actual  inspection  to  what 
height  the  water  had  attained.  He  was  certain  that 
it  could  not  be  less  than  he  had  estimated — the  indi 
cations  of  his  rain-gage  had  been  too  unvarying  to 
admit  of  doubt  on  that  point — but  he  had  no  means 
of  direct  measurement  since  he  could  not  sound  the 
tremendous  depths  beneath  the  Ark. 

After  long  meditation  on  the  probable  effects  of 
the  descending  columns  of  water  which  he  had  seen, 
he  concluded  that  they  might  have  added  more  rapidly 
than  he  first  supposed  to  the  increase  of  the  general 
level.  Besides,  he  reflected  that  there  was  no  proof 
that  the  general  downpour  might  not  have  been 
greater  over  some  parts  of  the  earth  than  others.  All 
these  doubts  could  be  dissipated  if  he  could  get  a 
good  look  at  some  lofty  mountain  range,  such  as  the 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  213 

Sierra  Nevada  of  Spain,  or  the  Pyrenees,  or,  if  he 
could  venture  within  sight  of  them,  the  Alps. 

So  he  said  to  Captain  Arms : 

"  Steer  for  the  coast  of  Europe." 

The  fine  weather  had  produced  a  good  effect  upon 
the  spirits  of  the  company.  Not  only  were  the  ports 
and  the  gangways  all  open,  but  Cosmo  ordered  the 
temporary  removal  of  rows  of  adjustable  plates  on 
the  sides  of  the  vessel,  which  transformed  the  broad 
outer  gangways,  running  its  whole  length,  into  de 
lightful  promenade  decks.  There,  in  cozy  chairs,  and 
protected  with  rugs,  the  passengers  sat,  fanned  by  a 
refreshing  breeze,  and  dazzled  by  the  splendor  of  the 
ocean. 

They  recalled,  by  their  appearance,  a  shipload  of 
summer  tourists  bound  for  the  wonders  and  pleasures 
of  foreign  parts.  This  likeness  to  a  pleasure  cruise 
was  heightened  by  the  constant  attentions  of  the  crew, 
under  Cosmo's  orders,  who  carried  about  refreshing 
drinks  and  lunches,  and  conducted  themselves  like 
regular  ocean  "  stewards." 

It  seemed  impossible  to  believe  that  the  world  had 
been  drowned,  and  some  almost  persuaded  themselves 
that  the  whole  thing  was  a  dream. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  thousand-odd  per 
sons  who  composed  this  remarkable  ship's  company 
were  so  hard-hearted,  so  selfish,  so  forgetful,  so 
morally  obtuse,  that  they  never  thought  of  the  real 
horror  of  their  situation,  and  of  the  awful  calamity 


2i4  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

that  had  overwhelmed  so  many  millions  of  their  fel 
low-creatures.  They  thought  of  all  that  only  too  seri 
ously  and  in  spite  of  themselves.  The  women  espe 
cially  were  overwhelmed  by  it.  But  they  did  not 
wish  to  dwell  upon  it,  and  Cosmo  Versal  did  not  wish 
that  they  should. 

At  night  he  had  musicians  play  in  the  grand  sa 
loon;  he  distributed  books  among  the  passengers  from 
a  large  library  which  he  had  selected;  and  at  last  he 
had  the  stage  set,  and  invited  his  friends,  the  play 
ers,  to  entertain  the  company. 

But  he  would  have  no  plays  but  those  of  Shake 
speare. 

There  were,  probably,  not  half  a  dozen  persons  in 
the  Ark  who  had  ever  seen  representations  of  these 
great  dramas,  and  very  few  who  had  read  them,  so 
that  they  had  the  advantage  of  complete  novelty. 

The  play  selected  for  the  first  representation  was 
the  tragedy  of  "  King  Lear,"  a  strange  choice,  it 
would,  at  first  sight,  seem,  but  Cosmo  Versal  had  a 
deep  knowledge  of  human  nature.  He  knew  that  only 
tragedy  would  be  endured  there,  and  that  it  must  be 
tragedy  so  profound  and  overmastering  that  it  would 
dominate  the  feelings  of  those  who  heard  and  beheld 
it.  It  was  the  principle  of  immunizing  therapeutics, 
where  poison  paralyzes  poison. 

It  came  out  as  he  anticipated.  The  audience,  un 
used  to  such  depth  of  dramatic  passion,  for  the  plays 
to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  had  been  far  from 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  215 

the  Shakespearian  standard,  was  wholly  absorbed  in 
the  development  of  the  tragedy.  It  was  a  complete 
revelation  to  them,  and  they  were  carried  out  of  them 
selves,  and  found  in  the  sympathy  awakened  by  this 
heart-crushing  spectacle  of  the  acme  of  human  woe  an 
unconscious  solace  for  their  own  moral  anguish. 

Afterward  Cosmo  put  upon  the  stage  "  Hamlet," 
and  "  Othello,"  and  "  Macbeth,"  and  "  Coriolanus," 
and  "  Julius  Caesar,"  but  he  avoided,  for  the  present, 
the  less  tragic  dramas.  And  all  of  them,  being  new 
to  the  hearers,  produced  an  enormous  effect. 

On  alternate  nights  he  substituted  music  for  the 
drama,  and,  as  this  was  confined  to  the  most  majestic 
productions  of  the  great  masters  of  the  past,  many 
of  whose  works,  like  those  of  Shakespeare,  had  long 
been  neglected  if  not  forgotten,  their  power  over  the 
spirits  of  the  company  was,  perhaps,  even  more  pro 
nounced. 

Cosmo  Versal  was  already  beginning  the  education 
of  his  chosen  band  of  race  regenerators,  while  he 
mused  upon  the  wonders  that  the  science  of  eugenics 
would  achieve  after  the  world  should  have  re- 
emerged  from  the  waters. 

One  of  the  most  singular  effects  of  the  music  was 
that  produced  upon  the  insane  billionaire,  Amos 
Blank.  He  had  been  confined  in  the  room  that  Cosmo 
had  assigned  to  him,  and  was  soothed,  whenever 
Cosmo  could  find  time  to  visit  him,  with  pretended 
acquiescence  in  his  crazed  notion  that  the  trip  of 


216  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Ark  was  part  of  a  scheme  to  "  corner  "  the  resources 
of  the  world. 

Cosmo  persuaded  him  that  the  secret  was  unknown 
except  to  themselves,  and  that  it  was  essential  to  suc 
cess  that  he  (Blank)  should  remain  in  retirement,  and 
accordingly  the  latter  expressed  no  desire  to  leave  his 
place  of  imprisonment,  which  he  regarded  as  the  head 
quarters  of  the  combination,  passing  hours  in  covering 
sheets  of  paper  with  columns  of  figures,  which  he 
fancied  represented  the  future  profits  of  the  enter 
prise. 

One  night  when  a  symphony  of  Beethoven  was  to 
be  played,  Cosmo  led  Amos  Blank  through  the 
crowded  saloon  and  placed  him  near  the  musicians. 
He  resisted  at  first,  and  when  he  saw  the  crowd  he 
drew  back,  exclaiming: 

"  What?    Not  overboard  yet?  " 

But  Cosmo  soothed  him  with  some  whispered  prom 
ise,  and  he  took  his  seat,  glancing  covertly  around 
him.  Then  the  instruments  struck  up,  and  immedi 
ately  fixed  his  attention.  As  the  musical  theme  de 
veloped  his  eyes  gradually  lost  their  wild  look,  and 
a  softened  expression  took  its  place.  He  sank  lower 
in  his  seat,  and  rested  his  head  upon  his  hand.  His 
whole  soul  seemed,  at  last,  to  be  absorbed  in  the 
music.  When  it  was  finished  Blank  was  a  changed 
man. 

Then  Cosmo  clearly  explained  to  him  all  that  had 
happened. 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  217 

After  the  first  overwhelming  effect  of  his  reawak 
ening  to  the  realities  of  his  situation  had  passed,  the 
billionaire  was  fully  restored  to  all  his  faculties. 
Henceforth  he  mingled  with  the  other  passengers 
and,  as  if  the  change  that  had  come  over  his  spirit 
had  had  greater  results  than  the  simple  restoration 
of  sanity,  he  became  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
useful  members  of  Cosmo  VersaTs  family  of  pilgrims. 

Among  the  other  intellectual  diversions  which 
Cosmo  provided  was  something  quite  unique,  due  to 
his  own  mental  bias.  This  consisted  of  "  confer 
ences,"  held  in  the  grand  saloon,  afternoons,  in  the 
presence  of  the  entire  company,  at  which  the  principal 
speakers  were  his  two  "  speculative  geniuses,"  Cos- 
take  Theriade  and  Sir  Wilfrid  Athelstone.  They  did 
not  care  very  much  for  one  another  and  each  thought 
that  the  time  allotted  to  the  other  was  wasted. 

Theriade  wished  to  talk  continuously  of  the  infinite 
energy  stored  up  in  the  atoms  of  matter,  and  of  the 
illimitable  power  which  the  release  of  that  energy, 
by  the  system  that  he  had  all  but  completed,  would 
place  at  the  disposition  of  man;  and  at  the  same  time 
Sir  Athelstone  could  with  difficulty  be  held  in  leash 
while  he  impatiently  awaited  an  opportunity  to  ex 
plain  how  excessively  near  he  had  arrived  to  the  direct 
production  of  protoplasm  from  inanimate  matter,  and 
the  chemical  control  of  living  cells,  so  that  henceforth 
man  could  people  or  unpeople  the  earth  as  he  liked. 

One  evening,  when  everybody  not  on  duty  was  in 


218  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

bed,  Captain  Arms,  with  his  whiskers  fairly  bristling, 
entered  Cosmo's  cabin,  where  the  latter  was  dictating 
to  Joseph  Smith,  and  softly  approaching  his  chief, 
with  a  furtive  glance  round  the  room,  stooped  and 
whispered  something  in  his  ear.  A  startled,  though 
incredulous,  expression  appeared  on  Cosmo's  face,  and 
he  sprang  to  his  feet,  but  before  speaking  he  obeyed 
a  sign  from  the  captain  and  told  Smith  to  leave  the 
room.  Then  he  locked  the  door  and  returned  to  his 
table,  where  he  dropped  into  a  chair,  exclaiming  in 
a  guarded  voice: 

"  Great  Heaven,  can  this  be  possible !  Have  you 
not  make  a  mistake?  " 

"  No,"  returned  the  captain  in  a  stridulous  whisper, 
"  I  have  made  no  mistake.  I'm  absolutely  sure.  If 
something  is  not  done  instantly  we  are  lost !  " 

"  This  is  terrible !  "  returned  Cosmo,  taking  his 
head  in  his  hands.  "  You  say  it  is  that  fellow  Campo? 
I  never  liked  his  looks." 

"  He  is  the  ringleader,"  replied  the  captain.  '  The 
first  suspicion  of  what  he  was  up  to  came  to  me 
through  an  old  sailor  who  has  been  with  me  on  many 
a  voyage.  He  overheard  Campo  talking  with  an 
other  man  and  he  listened.  Trust  an  old  sea  dog  to 
use  his  ears  and  keep  himself  out  of  notice." 

"  And  what  did  they  say?  " 

"  Enough  to  freeze  the  marrow  in  your  bones ! 
Campo  proposed  to  begin  by  throwing  '  old  Versal ' 
and  me  into  the  sea,  and  then  he  said,  with  us  gone, 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  219 

and  nobody  but  a  lot  of  muddle-headed  scientists  to 
deal  with,  it  would  be  easy  to  take  the  ship ;  seize  all 
the  treasure  in  her;  make  everybody  who  would  not 
join  the  mutiny  walk  the  plank,  except  the  women, 
and  steer  for  some  place  where  they  could  land  and 
lead  a  jolly  life. 

"  '  You  see,'  says  Campo,  '  this  flood  is  a  fake. 
There  ain't  going  to  be  no  more  flood;  it's  only  a 
shore  wash.  But  there's  been  enough  of  it  to  fix  things 
all  right  for  us.  We've  got  the  world  in  our  fist! 
There's  millions  of  money  aboard  this  ship,  and 
there's  plenty  of  female  beauty,  and  we've  only  got  to 
reach  out  and  take  it.'  ' 

Cosmo  Versal's  brow  darkened  as  he  listened,  and 
a  look  that  would  have  cowed  the  mutineers  if  they 
could  have  seen  it  came  into  his  eyes.  His  hand 
nervously  clutched  a  paper-knife  which  broke  in  his 
grasp,  as  he  said  in  a  voice  trembling  with  passion : 

'  They  don't  know  me — you  don't  know  me. 
Show  me  the  proofs  of  this  conspiracy.  Who  are  the 
others?  Campo  and  his  friend  can't  be  alone." 

"  Alone !  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  unconsciously 
raising  his  voice.  "  There's  a  dozen  as  black-handed 
rascals  in  it  as  ever  went  unswung." 

"  Do  you  know  them?  " 

"  Jim  Waters  does." 

'  Why  haven't  you  told  me  sooner?  How  long  has 
it  been  going  on?  " 

"  Almost  ever  since  the  deluge  stopped,  I  think; 


220  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

but  it  was  only  last  night  that  Waters  got  on  the 
track  of  it,  and  only  now  that  he  told  me.  This 
fellow  that  Waters  heard  Campo  talking  to  is  plainly 
a  new  recruit.  I  say  there  are  a  dozen,  because  Wa 
ters  has  found  out  that  number;  but  I  don't  know  but 
that  there  may  be  a  hundred." 

"  How  did  these  wretches  get  aboard?  "  demanded 
Cosmo,  fiercely  opening  and  shutting  his  fists. 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  the  captain,  "  but  that  is  up  to 
you  to  say." 

"  So  it  is,"  replied  Cosmo,  with  a  grim  look;  "  and 
it's  '  up  to  me  '  to  say  what'll  become  of  them.  I  see 
how  it  is,  they  must  have  got  in  with  the  last  lot  that 
I  took — under  assumed  names,  very  likely.  I've  been 
more  than  once  on  the  point  of  calling  that  man 
Campo  up  and  questioning  him.  I  was  surprised  by 
his  hangdog  look  the  first  time  I  saw  him.  But  I 
have  been  so  busy." 

'  You'll  have  to  get  busy  in  another  sense  if  you 
mean  to  save  this  ship  and  your  life,"  said  the  cap 
tain  earnestly. 

"So  I  shall.  Are  you  armed?  No?  Then  take 
these — and  use  'em  when  I  give  the  word." 

He  handed  the  captain  two  heavy  automatic  pis 
tols,  and  put  a  pair  in  his  own  side  pockets. 

"  Now,"  he  continued,  "  the  first  thing  is  to  make 
sure  that  we've  got  the  right  men — and  all  of  them. 
Call  in  Joseph  Smith." 

The  captain  went  to  the  door,  and  as  he  approached 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  221 

it  there  was  a  knock.  He  turned  the  key  and  cau 
tiously  opened  a  crack  to  look  out.  The  door  was 
instantly  slammed  in  his  face,  and  six  men  rushed  in, 
with  Campo,  a  burly,  black-browed  fellow,  at  their 
head.  Three  of  the  men  threw  the  captain  on  his 
back,  and  pinioned  his  hands  before  he  could  draw 
a  weapon,  while  Campo  and  the  others  sprang  toward 
Cosmo  Versal,  Campo  pointing  a  pistol  at  his  head. 

"  It's  all  up,  Mr.  Versal !  "  cried  Campo  with  a 
sneer.  "  I'll  take  command  of  this  ship,  and  you'll 
go  fish  for  nebulas." 

Cosmo  had  one  advantage;  he  was  behind  his  desk, 
and  it  was  a  broad  and  long  one,  and  placed  almost 
against  the  wall.  They  could  not  get  at  him  without 
getting  round  the  desk.  Campo  did  not  fire,  though 
he  might  have  shot  Cosmo  in  his  tracks;  but  evi 
dently  he  was  nourishing  the  idea  of  making  him  walk 
the  plank.  With  a  sign  he  commanded  his  co-con 
spirators  to  flank  the  desk  at  each  end,  while  he  kept 
Cosmo  covered  with  his  pistol. 

But  with  a  lightning  movement,  Cosmo  dropped 
under  the  desk,  and,  favored  by  his  slight  form  and 
his  extreme  agility,  darted  like  a  cat  past  Campo's 
legs,  and,  almost  before  the  latter  could  turn  round, 
was  out  of  the  open  door.  Campo  fired  at  the  re 
treating  form,  but  the  bullet  went  wide  of  the  mark. 
The  pistol  was  practically  noiseless,  and  the  sound 
reached  no  ears  in  the  staterooms. 

It  happened  that  a  switch  controlling  the  lights  in 


222  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  gangway  was  on  the  wall  by  Cosmo's  door,  and 
in  passing  he  swiftly  reached  up  and  turned  it  off. 
Thus  he  was  in  complete  darkness,  and  when  Campo 
darted  out  of  the  door  he  could  not  see  the  fugitive. 
He  could  hear  his  footsteps,  however,  and  with  two 
of  his  companions  he  rushed  blindly  after  him,  firing 
two  or  three  shots  at  random.  But  Cosmo  had  turned 
at  the  first  cross  passage,  and  then  at  the  next,  this 
part  of  the  Ark  being  a  labyrinth  of  corridors,  and 
the  pursuers  quickly  lost  all  trace  of  him. 

Campo  and  his  companions  made  their  way  back 
to  Cosmo's  cabin,  where  their  fellows  were  guarding 
Captain  Arms.  They  found  the  switch  in  the  passage 
and  turned  on  the  light.  They  were  almost  immedi 
ately  joined  by  several  other  conspirators  conducting 
Joseph  Smith,  bound  and  gagged.  They  held  a  short 
consultation,  and  Campo,  with  many  curses,  declared 
that  Cosmo  Versal  must  be  caught  at  all  hazards. 

"The  big-headed  fiend!"  he  cried,  gnashing  his 
teeth.  "  Let  me  get  my  grippers  on  him  and  I'll 
squelch  him  like  a  bug!  " 

They  threw  Joseph  Smith  into  the  room  beside  the 
helpless  captain,  after  taking  the  latter's  pistols,  locked 
the  door  from  the  outside,  and  hurried  off  on  their 
search.  In  the  passages  they  encountered  several 
more  of  their  friends.  They  now  numbered  fifteen, 
all  armed.  This  may  seem  a  small  number  to  under 
take  to  capture  the  Ark;  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  among  the  thousand-odd  inmates,  exclusive  of 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  223 

the  crew,  only  about  one  in  three  was  a  man,  and  the 
majority  of  these  were  peaceable  scientists  who,  it 
was  to  be  presumed,  had  no  fight  in  them. 

At  any  rate,  Campo,  with  the  reckless  courage  of 
his  kind,  felt  confident  that  if  he  could  get  Cosmo 
Versal,  with  the  captain  and  Joseph  Smith,  out  of 
the  way,  he  could  easily  overmaster  the  others.  He 
had  not  much  fear  of  the  crew,  for  he  knew  that  they 
were  not  armed,  and  he  had  succeeded  in  winning  over 
three  of  their  number,  the  only  ones  he  had  thought 
at  all  dangerous,  because  he  had  read  their  character. 
More  than  half  the  crew  were  employed  about  the 
engines  or  on  the  animal  deck,  and  most  of  the  others 
were  simply  stewards  who  would  not  stand  before  the 
pistols. 

But,  while  the  mutineers  were  hurriedly  searching 
the  corridors,  Cosmo  had  run  straight  to  the  bridge, 
where  he  found  two  of  his  men  in  charge,  and  whence 
he  sent  an  electric  call  to  all  the  men  employed  in  the 
navigation  of  the  vessel.  They  came  running  from 
various  directions,  but  a  dozen  of  them  were  caught 
in  the  passages  by  the  mutineers  and  bound  before 
they  could  comprehend  what  had  happened.  Seven, 
however,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  bridge,  and  among 
these  was  Jim  Waters. 

'  There's  a  mutiny,"  said  Cosmo.  "  We've  got  to 
fight  for  our  lives.  Have  you  got  arms?  " 

Not  one  had  a  weapon  except  Waters,  who  dis 
played  a  pistol  half  as  long  as  his  arm. 


224  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Here,  Peterson,  take  this,"  said  Cosmo,  handing 
a  pistol  to  one  of  the  two  mariners  who  had  been  on 
the  bridge.  "  They  will  be  here  in  a  minute.  If 
Campo  had  been  a  sailor,  he'd  have  had  possession 
here  the  first  thing.  I'll  turn  off  all  lights." 

With  that  he  pressed  a  button  which  put  out  every 
lamp  in  the  ark.  But  there  was  a  full  moon,  and 
they  concealed  themselves  in  the  shadows. 

Presently  they  heard  the  mutineers  approaching, 
stumbling  and  cursing  in  the  darkness.  Cosmo  di 
rected  Peterson  and  Waters  to  place  themselves  at 
his  side,  and  told  them  to  fire  when  he  gave  the  word. 

The  next  instant  four  men  appeared  crossing  a 
moonlit  place  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  on  the  outside 
of  the  dome. 

"  Wait,"  whispered  Cosmo.  '  The  pistols  go  at 
a  pull.  We  can  sweep  down  a  dozen  in  ten  seconds. 
Let  them  all  get  in  sight  first." 

Half  a  minute  later  there  were  twelve  men  climb 
ing  the  steps  and  cautiously  looking  up. 

"  Fire !  "  cried  Cosmo,  setting  the  example,  and 
three  streams  of  blue  flame  pulsated  from  the  bridge. 
The  sound  of  the  bullets  striking  made  more  noise 
than  the  explosions. 

Five  or  six  of  the  men  below  fell,  knocking  down 
their  comrades,  and  a  loud  curse  burst  from  the  lips 
of  Campo,  who  had  a  bullet  through  his  arm. 

The  mutineers  tumbled  in  a  heap  at  the  bottom, 
and  instantly  Cosmo,  switching  on  all  lights,  led  the 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  225 

way  down  upon  them.  His  men,  who  had  no  arms, 
seized  anything  they  could  get  their  hands  on  that 
would  serve  to  strike  a  blow,  and  followed  him. 

The  conspirators  were  overwhelmed  by  the  sud 
denness  and  fury  of  the  attack. 

Four  of  them  were  killed  outright  and  five  were 
wounded,  one  so  severely  that  he  survived  only  a  few 
hours. 

Cosmo's  quick  and  overwhelming  victory  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  mutineers,  in  mounting  the  steps, 
could  not  see  him  and  his  men  in  the  shadows,  and 
when  the  automatic  weapons,  which  fired  three  shots 
per  second  by  repeated  pressure  of  the  trigger,  from 
a  chamber  containing  twenty-one  cartridges,  once 
opened  on  them  they  could  do  nothing  in  the  hail 
of  missiles,  especially  when  crowded  together  on  the 
steps. 

Campo  was  the  only  one  who  had  any  fight  left  in 
him.  He  struck  Cosmo  a  blow  on  the  head  that  felled 
him,  and  then  darted  out  upon  the  forepart  of  the 
dome,  running  on  the  cleats,  and  made  his  way  to  the 
top. 

Cosmo  was  on  his  feet  in  a  second  and  rushing  in 
pursuit,  closely  followed  by  Jim  Waters.  The  fugi 
tive  ran  for  the  ratlines  leading  to  the  lookout  on  the 
central  mast.  He  climbed  them  like  a  squirrel,  and 
the  man  in  the  cro'nest,  amazed  at  the  sight  below 
him,  stared  at  the  approaching  mutineer,  unable  to 
utter  a  cry.  Campo,  who,  as  the  moonbeams  showed, 


226  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

now  had  a  knife  in  his  teeth,  rapidly  approached, 
and  the  lookout  shrank  in  terror.  But  before  Campo 
could  reach  the  cro'nest,  a  blinding  light  dazzled  his 
eyes.  Cosmo  had  shouted  an  order  to  Peterson  to 
run  back  to  the  bridge  and  turn  a  searchlight  upon 
the  mast.  Then  Campo  heard  a  thundering  voice 
below  him : 

'  Take  another  step  and  I'll  blow  you  into  the 
sea!" 

He  glanced  below,  and  saw  Cosmo  and  Waters 
covering  him  with  their  pistols. 

"Not  another  step!"  roared  Cosmo  again. 
"  Come  down,  and  I'll  give  you  a  trial  for  your  life." 

Campo  hesitated;  but,  seeing  that  he  could  be  shot 
down,  and  finding  a  gleam  of  hope  in  Cosmo's  words, 
he  turned  and  came  slowly  down.  The  moment  he 
touched  the  bottom  he  was  seized  by  Waters  and 
another  man,  and,  under  Cosmo's  directions,  his  hands 
were  bound  behind  his  back. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  members  of  the  crew  who 
had  been  caught  by  the  mutineers  in  the  gangways 
were  all  unbound,  and  then  Cosmo  broke  open  the 
door  of  his  cabin,  the  key  having  been  lost  or  thrown 
away  by  Campo,  and  the  captain  and  Joseph  Smith 
were  released. 

"  Well,  we've  got  'em,"  said  Cosmo  grimly  to  the 
captain.  "  The  mutiny  is  at  an  end,  and  there'll  never 
be  another." 

In  the  meantime  many  of  the  passengers  had  been 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  227 

aroused  by  the  unaccustomed  noises,  although  the  pis 
tols  had  not  made  enough  sound  to  be  heard  from 
the  place  where  they  were  fired.  Nightcapped  heads 
appeared  on  all  sides,  and  some,  in  scanty  clothing, 
were  wandering  in  the  passageways,  demanding  what 
the  trouble  was.  Cosmo,  the  captain,  and  Joseph 
Smith  reassured  them,  saying  that  there  was  no  dan 
ger,  and  that  something  had  happened  which  would 
be  explained  in  the  morning. 

The  prisoners — and  the  whole  fifteen  were  finally 
captured — were  locked  up  in  a  strong  room,  and  a 
surgeon  was  sent  to  dress  their  wounds.  Cosmo  Ver- 
sal  and  the  captain  resumed  their  accustomed  places 
on  the  bridge,  where  they  talked  over  the  affair,  and 
Cosmo  explained  his  plans  for  the  morrow. 

"  I'll  give  him  his  trial,  as  I  promised,"  Cosmo 
said  in  conclusion,  "  and  you'll  see  what  it  will  be. 
Mutiny  aboard  this  Ark!"  And  he  struck  the  rail 
a  violent  blow  with  his  fist. 

The  next  morning  directly  after  breakfast  Cosmo 
called  all  passengers  and  crew  into  the  grand  saloon, 
where  many  wondering  looks  were  exchanged  and 
many  puzzling  questions  asked.  When  the  muti 
neers,  with  hands  tied  behind  their  backs  and  their 
many  bandages  on  arms  and  legs,  were  led  in,  ex 
clamations  of  astonishment  were  heard,  and  some  of 
the  timid  ones  shrank  away  in  fear. 

Cosmo  lost  no  time  with  preliminaries. 

"  These  men,"  he  said,  taking  his  stand  upon  the 


228  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

platform,  "  have  mutinied  and  tried  to  capture  the 
Ark.  This  fellow  "  —pointing  to  Campo — "  was  the 
concocter  and  leader  of  the  plot.  He  intended  to 
throw  me  and  Captain  Arms,  and  all  of  you  whom 
he  did  not  wish  to  retain  for  his  fiendish  purposes, 
into  the  sea.  But  Heaven  has  delivered  them  into 
our  hands.  I  have  promised  them  a  trial,  and  they 
shall  have  it.  But  it  will  be  a  trial  in  which  justice 
shall  not  be  cheated.  I  find  that  a  moral  poison  has 
stolen  into  this  selected  company,  and  I  will  eliminate 
it  for  once  and  all." 

The  expressions  of  amazement  and  alarm  re 
doubled  in  intensity. 

"  Professor  Abel  Able,  Professor  Jeremiah  Moses, 
Sir  Wilfrid  Athelstone,  Costake  Theriade,"  Cosmo 
continued,  "  you  will  please  come  forward  to  act  as 
members  of  the  jury,  of  which  I  name  myself  also  a 
member.  I  shall  be  both  judge  and  juror  here,  but 
I  will  hear  what  the  rest  of  you  may  have  to  say." 

The  men  named  stepped  forward  with  some  evi 
dences  of  embarrassment,  and  Cosmo  gravely  gave 
them  seats  beside  him.  Then  he  commanded  that  the 
prisoners  should  confront  the  jury,  and,  heavily 
guarded,  they  were  led  to  the  front. 

The  brutishness  of  Campo's  face  had  never  struck 
the  passengers  who  had  seen  him  before  as  it  did  now. 
He  looked  a  veritable  jailbird.  At  the  same  time 
he  was  evidently  in  terror  for  his  life.  He  muttered 
something  which  nobody  understood. 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  229 

Cosmo,  who  had  informed  himself  of  all  the  cir 
cumstances  from  Waters,  and  by  privately  question 
ing  the  others,  had  satisfied  himself  that  the  entire 
scheme  of  the  mutiny  was  of  Campo's  contrivance, 
and  that  they  had  been  led  into  it  solely  by  his  per 
suasion  and  threats,  ordered  Waters  to  speak.  The 
seaman  told  a  straight  story  of  what  he  had  heard  and 
seen.  Cosmo  himself  then  related  the  events  of  the 
night.  When  he  had  finished  he  turned  to  Campo 
and  demanded  what  he  had  to  say. 

Campo  again  muttered  under  his  breath,  but  made 
no  attempt  to  defend  himself,  simply  saying: 

"  You  promised  me  a  trial." 

"And  haven't  I  given  you  a  trial?"  demanded 
Cosmo  with  flashing  eyes.  "  You  thought  you  held 
the  world  in  your  grasp.  It  is  /  that  hold  it  in  my 
grasp,  and  you,  too !  You  were  going  to  make  us 
'  walk  the  plank.'  It  is  you  who  are  going  to  walk 
it!  Is  that  the  verdict?  "  (turning  to  the  four  jury 
men). 

Some  of  them  nodded,  some  simply  stared  at 
Cosmo,  surprised  by  the  vehemence  of  his  manner. 

"  Enough,"  he  said.  "  As  to  you,"  addressing  the 
other  prisoners,  "  you  have  had  your  lesson;  see  that 
you  don't  forget  it !  Release  them,  and  lead  Campo 
to  the  promenade  deck." 

Nobody  thought  that  Cosmo  would  literally  exe 
cute  his  threat  to  make  the  mutineer  walk  the  plank, 
but,  as  he  had  told  Captain  Arms,  they  didn't  know 


23o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

him.  They  were  about  to  see  that  in  Cosmo  Versal 
they  had  not  only  a  prophet,  a  leader,  and  a  judge, 
but  an  inexorable  master  also. 

A  plank  was  prepared  and  placed  sloping  from  the 
rail. 

"  Walk!  "  said  Cosmo  firmly. 

To  everybody's  surprise  Campo,  with  blinded  eyes, 
started  immediately  up  the  plank,  followed  its  full 
length  with  quick,  unfaltering  step,  and  plunging  from 
the  end,  disappeared  in  the  sea. 

Many  had  turned  away,  unable  to  look,  but  many 
also  saw  the  tragedy  to  the  end.  Then  a  profound 
sigh  was  heard  from  the  whole  company  of  the  spec 
tators.  As  they  turned  away,  talking  in  awed  voices, 
they  felt,  as  never  before,  that  the  world  had  shrunk 
to  the  dimensions  of  the  Ark,  and  that  Cosmo  Versal 
was  its  dictator. 

That  same  afternoon  Cosmo  arranged  one  of  his 
"  conferences,"  and  nobody  dared  to  be  absent,  al 
though  all  minds  were  yet  too  much  excited  to  follow 
the  discussions  which  few  could  understand.  But  at 
length  Costake  Theriade  concentrated  their  attention 
by  a  wild  burst  of  eloquence  about  the  wonders  of  the 
inter-atomic  forces.  Sir  Athelstone,  unable  to  endure 
the  applause  that  greeted  his  rival,  abruptly  sprang 
to  his  feet,  his  round  face  red  with  anger,  and 
shouted : 

"  I  say,  you  know,  this  is  twaddle !  " 

"Will    the    Englishman    interrupt    not?"    cried 


MUTINY  IN  THE  ARK  231 

Theriade,  with  his  eyes  ablaze.  "  Shall  I  project  not 
the  Sir  Englishman  to  the  feeshes  ?  " 

He  looked  as  if  he  were  about  to  try  to  execute  his 
threat,  and  Sir  Athelstone  assumed  a  boxing  attitude; 
but  before  hostilities  could  begin  a  loud  shout  from 
the  deck,  followed  by  cries  and  exclamations,  caused 
everybody  to  rush  out  of  the  saloon. 

Those  who  succeeded  in  getting  a  glimpse  over  the 
shoulders  of  the  members  of  the  crew,  who  were  al 
ready  lined  up  along  the  only  portion  of  the  bulwarks 
available  for  seeing  the  part  of  the  ocean  on  which 
attention  seemed  to  be  fixed,  stared  open-mouthed  at 
a  round-backed  mass  of  shining  metal,  with  a  cir 
cular  aperture  on  the  top,  the  cover  of  which  was 
canted  to  one  side,  and  there  stood  a  man,  waving 
a  gold-laced  red  kepi,  and  bowing  and  smiling  with 
great  civility. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  JULES  VERNE 

/~|~"VHE  swell  of  the  sea  caused  the  strange-looking 
*~  craft  to  rise  and  sink  a  little,  and  sometimes  the 
water  ran  bubbling  all  around  the  low  rim  of  the 
aperture,  in  the  center  of  which  the  red-capped  man 
stood,  resting  on  some  invisible  support,  repeating  his 
salutations  and  amicable  smiles,  and  balancing  his 
body  to  the  rocking  of  the  waves  with  the  unconscious 
skill  of  a  sailor. 

The  Ark  was  running  slowly,  but  it  would  very 
soon  have  left  the  stranger  in  its  wake  if  he  had  not 
also  been  in  motion.  It  was  evident  that  the  object 
under  his  feet  must  be  a  submersible  vessel  of  some 
kind,  although  it  was  of  a  type  which  Captain  Arms, 
standing  beside  Cosmo  on  the  bridge,  declared  that 
he  had  never  set  eyes  on  before.  It  lay  so  low  in  the 
water  that  nothing  could  be  seen  of  its  motive  ma 
chinery,  but  it  kept  its  place  alongside  the  Ark  with 
the  ease  of  a  dolphin,  and  gradually  edged  in  closer 
and  closer. 

When  it  was  so  near  that  he  could  be  heard  speak 
ing  in  a  voice  hardly  raised  above  the  ordinary  pitch, 
the  man,  first  again  lifting  his  cap  with  an  easy  ges- 

232 


THE  JULES  FERNE  233 

ture,  addressed  Cosmo  Versal  by  name,  using  the 
English  language  with  a  scarcely  perceptible  accent : 

"  M.  Versal,  I  offer  you  my  felicitations  upon  the 
magnificent  appearance  of  your  Ark,  and  I  present 
my  compliments  to  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  your 
company." 

And  then  he  bowed  once  more  to  the  passengers, 
who  were  almost  crowding  each  other  over  the  side 
in  their  eagerness  to  both  see  and  hear. 

'  Thank  you,"  responded  Cosmo,  "  but  who  are 
you?" 

"  Capitaine  Yves  de  Beauxchamps,  of  the  French 
army." 

"Where's  the  navy,  then?"  blurted  out  Captain 
Arms. 

De  Beauxchamps  glanced  at  the  speaker  a  little 
disdainfully,  and  then  replied  gravely: 

"  Alas !  At  the  bottom  of  the  sea — with  all  the 
other  navies." 

"  And  how  have  you  escaped?  "  demanded  Cosmo 
Versal. 

"  As  you  see,  in  a  submersible." 

"  Can  it  be  possible!  "  exclaimed  Cosmo.  "  And 
you  have  been  in  the  sea  ever  since  the  beginning  of 
the  flood?" 

"  Since  the  first  rise  of  the  ocean  on  the  coast  at 
Brest." 

"  Have  you  no  companions?  " 

"  Six — in  truth,  seven." 


234  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"Astonishing!"  said  Cosmo  Versal.  "But  I 
heard  nothing  of  the  preparation  of  a  submersible. 
In  fact,  the  idea  of  such  a  thing  never  occurred  to 
me.  You  must  have  made  your  preparations  se 
cretly." 

"  We  did.  We  did  not  share  your  certainty,  M. 
Versal,  concerning  the  arrival  of  a  deluge.  Even 
when  we  embarked  we  were  not  sure  that  it  would  be 
more  than  an  affair  of  the  coasts." 

"  But  you  must  be  on  the  point  of  starvation  by 
this  time.  The  flood  has  only  begun.  This  cessa 
tion  is  but  for  a  time,  while  we  are  passing  a  gap  in 
the  nebula.  You  will  come  aboard  the  Ark.  I  had 
chosen  my  company,  but  your  gallant  escape,  and  the 
ability  that  you  have  shown,  prove  that  you  are  wor 
thy  to  aid  in  the  re-establishment  of  the  race,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  your  companions  are  equally 
worthy." 

The  Frenchman  bowed  politely,  and  with  a  slight 
smile  replied: 

"  I  believe,  M.  Versal,  that  the  Jules  Verne  is  as 
safe  and  comfortable,  and  proportionately  as  well 
provisioned,  as  your  Ark." 

"  So  you  call  it  the  Jules  Verne?  "  returned  Cosmo, 
smiling  in  his  turn. 

"  We  were  proud  to  give  it  that  name,  and  its  con 
duct  has  proved  that  it  is  worthy  of  it." 

"  But  you  will  surely  come  aboard  and  shake  hands, 
and  let  us  offer  you  a  little  hospitality,"  said  Cosmo. 


THE  JULES  VERNE  235 

"  I  should  be  extremely  happy  to  pay  my  compli 
ments  to  the  ladies,"  responded  De  Beauxchamps, 
"  but  I  must  postpone  that  pleasure  for  the  present. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  I  should  be  glad  if  you 
would  lower  a  landing  stage,  and  permit  me  to  send 
aboard  the  seventh  member  of  our  party,  who,  I 
venture  to  think,  may  find  the  Ark  a  more  comforta 
ble  abode  than  our  submersible." 

"  And  who  may  that  person  be?  " 

"  The  King  of  England." 

Exclamations  of  surprise  and  wonder  were  heard 
on  all  sides. 

"  Yes,"  resumed  the  Frenchman,  "  we  picked  up 
his  majesty  the  first  day  after  the  deluge  began  to 
descend  from  the  sky." 

"  I  will  lower  a  ladder  at  once,"  Cosmo  called  out, 
and  immediately  ran  down  to  the  lowest  deck,  com 
manding  his  men  to  make  haste. 

The  Jules  Verne  was  skillfully  brought  close  up  to 
the  side  of  the  Ark,  so  that  the  visible  part  of  her 
rounded  back  was  nearly  in  contact  with  the  bottom 
of  the  companion-ladder  when  it  had  been  lowered. 
The  sea  was  so  calm  that  there  was  little  difficulty 
in  executing  this  maneuver.  De  Beauxchamps  dis 
appeared  in  the  depths  of  the  submersible,  and  after 
a  few  minutes  re-emerged  into  sight,  supporting  on 
his  arm  a  stout,  rather  short  man,  whose  face,  it  was 
evident,  had  once  been  full  and  ruddy,  but  now  it 
was  pale  and  worn. 


236  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"It  is  he!"  exclaimed  an  English  member  of 
Cosmo's  company  to  some  of  his  fellow-countrymen 
who  had  forced  their  way  to  the  front. 

"  //  is  the  king!  " 

And  then  occurred  a  singular  thing,  inspired  by  the 
marvelous  circumstances  of  this  meeting  of  the  sov 
ereign  of  a  drowned  kingdom,  upon  the  bosom  of  the 
waters  that  had  destroyed  it,  with  the  mere  handful 
which  remained  alive  out  of  all  the  millions  of  his 
subjects. 

These  loyal  Englishmen  bared  their  heads  (and 
there  were  three  women  among  them)  and  sang,  with 
a  pathos  that  surely  the  old  hymn  had  never  ex 
pressed  before,  their  national  anthem:  "God  Save 
the  King." 

The  effect  was  immense.  Every  head  aboard  the 
Ark  was  immediately  uncovered.  De  Beauxchamps 
removed  his  cap,  and  one  or  two  bared  heads  could 
be  seen  peering  out  of  the  interior  of  the  submersible 
below  him.  As  the  king  was  steadied  across  to  the 
bottom  of  the  companion-ladder,  the  voices  of  the 
singers  rose  louder,  and  many  of  the  other  passengers, 
moved  by  sympathy,  or  carried  away  by  epidemic 
feeling,  joined  in  the  singing.  Never  had  any  mon 
arch  a  greeting  like  that !  Its  recipient  was  moved 
to  the  depths  of  his  soul,  and  but  for  the  aid  given 
him  would  have  been  unable  to  ascend  the  swaying 
steps. 

As  he  was  assisted  upon  the  deck,  the  song  ceased 


THE  JULES  FERNE  237 

and  a  great  cheer  broke  forth.  There  were  tears  in 
his  eyes,  and  he  trembled  in  every  limb,  when  he 
returned  the  welcoming  pressure  of  Cosmo  Versal's 
hand. 

The  moment  he  saw  that  the  king  was  safely 
aboard  the  Ark,  De  Beauxchamps,  with  a  farewell 
salutation,  disappeared  into  the  interior  of  the  Jules 
Verne,  and  the  submersible  sank  out  of  sight  as  gently 
as  if  it  had  been  a  huge  fish  that  had  come  to  the  top 
of  the  sea  to  take  a  look  about. 

After  the  sensation  caused  by  the  arrival  of  the 
English  monarch  aboard  the  Ark  had  somewhat 
quieted  down,  and  after  his  majesty  had  had  an  op 
portunity  to  recover  himself,  Cosmo  Versal  invited 
his  new  guest  to  tell  the  story  of  his  escape.  They 
were  seated  in  Cosmo's  cabin,  and  there  were  present 
Joseph  Smith,  Professor  Jeremiah  Moses,  Professor 
Abel  Able,  and  Amos  Blank,  beside  several  other 
members  of  the  ship's  company,  including  two  of  the 
loyal  Englishmen  who  quite  naturally  had  been  the 
first  to  strike  up  the  national  anthem  on  seeing  their 
rescued  king. 

Richard  Edward,  or  Richard  IV  as  he  was  officially 
entitled,  was  one  of  the  best  kings  England  ever  had. 
He  was  popular  not  only  because  of  his  almost  dem 
ocratic  manners  and  the  simplicity  of  his  life,  but  more 
because  he  was  a  great  lover  of  peace.  We  have 
already  seen  how  he  was  chosen,  solely  on  that  ac 
count,  to  be  of  the  number  of  the  rulers  invited  to  go 


238  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

in  the  Ark.  He  had  not  even  replied  to  Cosmo's 
invitation,  but  that  was  simply  because,  like  every 
body  about  him  in  whom  he  placed  confidence,  he 
regarded  Cosmo  Versal  as  a  mere  mountebank,  and 
thought  that  there  was  no  more  danger  of  a  flood 
that  would  cover  the  earth  than  of  the  fall  of  the 
moon  out  of  the  sky. 

Before  responding  to  Cosmo's  request  he  made  a 
gracious  reference  to  the  indifference  with  which  he 
had  formerly  treated  his  present  host. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Versal,"  he  said,  with  a  depre 
catory  smile,  "  that  I  did  not  sooner  recognize  the 
fact  that  your  knowledge  surpassed  that  of  my  sci 
entific  advisers." 

"  Your  majesty  was  not  alone,"  replied  Cosmo 
gravely,  turning  with  his  finger  a  small  globe  that 
stood  on  his  desk.  "  From  all  these  deep-sunken  con 
tinents  "  (waving  his  hand  toward  the  globe),  "if 
the  voices  once  heard  there  could  now  speak,  there 
would  arise  a  mighty  sound  of  lament  for  that  great 
error." 

The  king  looked  at  him  with  an  expression  of  sur 
prise.  He  glanced  from  Cosmo's  diminutive  figure 
to  his  great  overhanging  brow,  marked  with  the  lines 
of  thought,  and  a  look  of  instinctive  deference  came 
into  his  eyes. 

"  But,"  continued  Cosmo  Versal,  "  it  is  bootless 
to  speak  of  these  things  now.  I  beg  that  your  majesty 
will  condescend  to  enlighten  us  concerning  the  fate 


THE  JULES  VERNE  239 

of  that  great  kingdom,  of  ancient  renown,  over  which 
you  so  worthily  reigned." 

An  expression  of  deepest  pain  passed  across  the  face 
of  Richard  Edward.  For  some  moments  he  remained 
buried  in  a  mournful  silence,  and  many  sighs  came 
from  his  breast.  All  looked  at  him  with  profound 
commiseration.  At  last  he  raised  his  head,  and  said, 
sorrowfully  and  brokenly: 

"  My  kingdom  is  drowned — my  subjects  have  per 
ished,  almost  to  the  last  soul — my  family,  my  gracious 
consort,  my  children — all,  all — gone !  " 

Here  he  broke  down,  and  could  speak  no  more. 
Not  a  word  was  heard,  for  a  time  in  the  room,  and 
the  two  Englishmen  present  wept  with  their  unfor 
tunate  king. 

Cosmo  Versal  was  no  less  deeply  moved  than  the 
others.  He  sat,  for  a  while,  in  complete  silence. 
Then  he  arose  and,  going  to  the  king,  put  his  hand 
upon  his  shoulder,  and  talked  to  him  long,  in  a  low, 
consoling  voice.  At  last  the  broken-spirited  monarch 
was  able  to  suppress  his  emotions  sufficiently  to  re 
cite,  but  with  many  interruptions  while  he  remastered 
his  feelings,  the  story  of  his  woes  and  of  his  mar 
velous  escape. 

"  Sir  Francis  Brook,"  he  said,  "  prepared  a  barge, 
when  the  water  invaded  London,  and  in  that  barge- 
we  escaped — her  royal  majesty,  our  children,  and  a 
number  of  members  of  the  royal  household.  The 
barge  was  the  only  vessel  of  levium  that  existed  in 


24o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

England.  Sir  Francis  had  furnished  and  provisioned 
it  well,  and  we  did  not  think  that  it  would  be  necessary 
to  go  farther  than  to  some  high  point  in  the  interior. 
Sir  Francis  was  of  the  opinion  that  Wales  would 
afford  a  secure  refuge. 

"  It  was  a  terrible  thing  to  see  the  drowning  of 
London,  the  sweeping  of  the  awful  bore  that  came 
up  the  Thames  from  the  sea,  the  shipping  wrecked 
by  the  tearing  waves,  the  swirl  of  the  fast-rising  water 
round  the  immense  basin  in  which  the  city  lay,  the 
downfall  of  the  great  buildings — Westminster  Abbey 
was  one  of  the  first  that  succumbed — the  overturned 
boats,  and  even  great  vessels  floating  on  their  sides, 
or  bottom  up,  the  awful  spectacle  of  the  bodies  of  the 
drowned  tossing  in  the  waves — all  these  sights  were 
before  our  horrified  eyes  while  the  vast  eddy  swept 
us  round  and  round  until  the  water  rose  so  high  that 
we  were  driven  off  toward  the  southwest. 

"  That  we  should  have  escaped  at  all  was  a  mira 
cle  of  miracles.  It  was  the  wonderful  buoyancy  of 
the  levium  barge  that  saved  us.  But  the  terrors  of 
that  scene  can  never  fade  from  my  memory.  And 
the  fearful  sufferings  of  the  queen  !  And  our  children 
—but  I  cannot  go  on  with  this !  " 

"  Calm  yourself,  your  majesty,"  said  Cosmo  sym 
pathetically.  "  The  whole  world  has  suffered  with 
you.  If  we  are  spared  and  are  yet  alive,  it  is  through 
the  hand  of  Providence — to  which  all  of  us  must 
bow." 


THE  JULES  VERNE  241 

"  We  must  have  passed  over  Surrey  and  Hamp 
shire,"  the  king  resumed,  "  the  invasion  of  the  sea 
having  buried  the  hills." 

"  I  am  surprised  at  that,"  said  Cosmo.  "  I  did  not 
think  that  the  sea  had  anywhere  attained  so  great  an 
elevation  before  the  nebula  condensed.  At  New 
York  the  complete  drowning  of  the  city  did  not  occur 
until  the  downpour  from  the  sky  began." 

"  Oh !  that  deluge  from  the  heavens !  "  cried  the 
king.  "  What  we  had  suffered  before  seemed  but 
little  in  comparison.  It  came  upon  us  after  night; 
and  the  absolute  darkness,  the  awful  roaring,  the  ter 
rific  force  of  the  falling  water,  the  sense  of  suffoca 
tion,  the  rapid  filling  of  the  barge  until  the  water  was 
about  our  necks — these  things  drove  us  wild  with 
despair. 

"  I  tried  to  sustain  my  poor  queen  in  my  arms,  but 
she  struggled  to  seize  the  children  and  hold  them 
above  the  water,  and  in  her  efforts  she  escaped  from 
my  hands,  and  henceforth  I  could  find  her  no  more. 
I  stumbled  about,  but  it  was  impossible  to  see;  it  was 
impossible  to  hear.  At  last  I  fell  unconscious  face 
downward,  as  it  afterward  appeared,  upon  a  kind  of 
bench  at  the  rear  end  of  the  barge,  which  was  covered 
with  a  narrow  metallic  roofing,  and  raised  above  the 
level  of  the  bulwarks.  It  was  there  that  I  had  tried 
to  shelter  the  queen  and  the  children. 

"  In  some  way  I  must  have  become  lodged  there, 
under  the  awning,  in  such  a  position  that  the  pitching 


242  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

of  the  barge  failed  to  throw  me  off.  I  never  regained 
consciousness  until  I  heard  a  voice  shouting  in  my 
ear,  and  felt  some  one  pulling  me,  and  when  I  had 
recovered  my  senses,  I  found  myself  in  the  submersi 
ble." 

"  And  all  your  companions  were  gone  ?  "  asked 
Cosmo,  in  a  voice  shaking  with  pity. 

"  Yes,  oh,  Lord !  All !  They  had  been  swept 
overboard  by  the  waves — and  would  that  I  had  gone 
with  them !  " 

The  poor  king  broke  down  again  and  sobbed. 
After  a  long  pause  Cosmo  asked  gently : 

"  Did  the  Frenchman  tell  you  how  he  came  upon 
the  barge  ?  " 

"  He  said  that  in  rising  to  the  surface  to  find  out 
the  state  of  things  there  the  submersible  came  up  di 
rectly  under  the  barge,  canting  it  in  such  a  way  that 
I  was  rolled  out  and  he  caught  me  as  I  was  swept  close 
to  the  opening." 

"  But  how  was  it  that  the  downpour,  entering  the 
submersible,  when  the  cover  was  removed,  did  not 
fill  it  with  water?  " 

"  He  had  the  cover  so  arranged  that  it  served  as 
an  almost  complete  protection  from  the  rain.  Some 
water  did  enter,  but  not  much." 

"  A  wonderful  man,  that  Frenchman,"  said  Cosmo. 
"  He  would  be  an  acquisition  for  me.  What  did  he 
say  his  name  was?  Oh,  yes,  De  Beauxchamps — I'll 


THE  JULES  VERNE  243 

make  a  note  of  that.    I  shouldn't  wonder  if  we  heard 
of  him  again." 

Cosmo  Versal  was  destined  to  encounter  Yves  de 
Beauxchamps  and  his  wonderful  submersible  Jules 
Verne  sooner,  and  under  more  dramatic  circumstances 
than  he  probably  anticipated. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

NAVIGATING  OVER   DROWNED    EUROPE 

A  FTER  the  English  king  had  so  strangely  be- 
come  a  member  of  its  company  the  Ark  resumed 
its  course  in  the  direction  of  what  had  once  been  Eu 
rope.  The  spot  where  the  meeting  with  the  Jules 
Verne  had  occurred  was  west  of  Cape  Finisterre  and, 
according  to  the  calculations  of  Captain  Arms,  in 
longitude  fifteen  degrees  four  minutes  west;  latitude 
forty-four  degrees  nine  minutes  north. 

Cosmo  decided  to  run  into  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  skirt 
ing  its  southern  coast  in  order  to  get  a  view  of  the 
Cantabrian  Mountains,  many  of  whose  peaks,  he 
thought,  ought  still  to  lie  well  above  the  level  of  the 
water. 

"  There  are  the  Peaks  of  Europa,"  said  Captain 
Arms,  "  which  lie  less  than  twenty  miles  directly 
back  from  the  coast.  The  highest  point  is  eight  thou 
sand  six  hundred  and  seventy  feet  above  sea  level,  or 
what  used  to  be  sea  level.  We  could  get  near  enough 
to  it,  without  any  danger,  to  see  how  high  the  water 
goes." 

"  Do  you  know  the  locality?  "  demanded  Cosmo. 
244 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         245 

"  As  well  as  I  know  a  compass-card !  "  exclaimed 
the  captain.  "  I've  seen  the  Europa  peaks  a  hun 
dred  times.  I  was  wrecked  once  on  that  coast,  and 
being  of  an  inquiring  disposition,  I  took  the  oppor 
tunity  to  go  up  into  the  range  and  see  the  old  mines — 
and  a  curious  sight  it  was,  too.  But  the  most  curious 
sight  of  all  was  the  shepherdesses  of  Tresvido,  dressed 
just  like  the  men,  in  homespun  breeches  that  never 
wore  out.  You'd  meet  'em  anywhere  on  the  slopes 
of  the  Pico  del  Ferro,  cruising  about  with  their  flocks. 
And  the  cheese  that  they  made  !  There  never  was  any 
such  cheese!  " 

'  Well,  if  you  know  the  place  so  well,"  said  Cosmo, 
"  steer  for  it  as  fast  as  you  can.  I'm  curious  to  find 
out  just  how  high  this  flood  has  gone,  up  to  the 
present  moment." 

"  Maybe  we  can  rescue  a  shepherdess,"  returned 
the  captain,  chuckling.  "  She'd  be  an  ornament  to 
your  new  Garden  of  Eden." 

They  kept  on  until,  as  they  approached  longitude 
five  degrees  west,  they  began  to  get  glimpses  of  the 
mountains  of  northern  Spain.  The  coast  was  all  un 
der  deep  water,  and  also  the  foothills  and  lower 
ranges,  but  some  of  the  peaks  could  be  made  out  far 
inland.  At  length,  by  cautious  navigation,  Captain 
Arms  got  the  vessel  quite  close  to  the  old  shore  line 
of  the  Asturias,  and  then  he  recognized  the  Europa 
peaks. 

"  There  they  are,"  he  cried.     "  I'd  know  'em  if 


246  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

they'd  emigrated  to  the  middle  of  Africa.  There's 
the  old  Torre  de  Cerredo  and  the  Pena  Santa." 

"  How  high  did  you  say  the  main  peak  is?  "  asked 
Cosmo. 

"  She's  eight  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy 
feet." 

"  From  your  knowledge  of  the  coast,  do  you  think 
it  safe  to  run  in  closer?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you're  sure  the  water  is  not  less  than  two 
thousand  four  hundred  feet  above  the  old  level  we 
can  get  near  enough  to  see  the  water-line  on  the  peaks, 
from  the  cro'nest,  which  is  two  hundred  feet  high." 

"  Go  ahead,  then." 

They  got  closer  than  they  had  imagined  possible, 
so  close  that,  from  the  highest  lookout  on  the  Ark, 
they  were  able  with  their  telescopes  to  see  very  clearly 
where  the  water  washed  the  barren  mountainsides  at 
what  seemed  to  be  a  stupendous  elevation. 

"  I'm  sorry  about  your  shepherdesses,"  said 
Cosmo,  smiling.  "  I  don't  think  you'd  find  any  there 
to  rescue  if  you  could  get  to  them.  They  must  all 
have  been  lost  in  the  torrents  that  poured  down  those 
mountains." 

"  More's  the  pity,"  said  Captain  Arms.  "  That 
was  a  fine  lot  of  women.  There'll  be  no  more  cheese 
like  what  they  made  at  Tresvido." 

Cosmo  inquired  if  the  captain's  acquaintance  with 
the  topography  of  the  range  enabled  him  to  say  how 
high  that  water  was.  The  captain,  after  long  inspec- 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         247 

tion,  declared  that  he  felt  sure  that  it  was  not  less  than 
four  thousand  feet  above  the  old  coast  line. 

"  Then,"  said  Cosmo,  "  if  you're  right  about  the 
elevation  of  what  you  call  the  Torre  de  Cerredo  there 
must  be  four  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy  feet  of 
its  upper  part  still  out  of  water.  We'll  see  if  that 
is  so." 

Cosmo  made  the  measurements  with  instruments, 
and  announced  that  the  result  showed  the  substantial 
accuracy  of  Captain  Arms's  guess. 

"  I  suspected  as  much,"  he  muttered.  "  Those 
tremendous  downpours,  which  may  have  been  worse 
elsewhere  than  where  we  encountered  them,  have  in 
creased  the  rise  nearly  seventy  per  cent,  above  what 
my  gages  indicated.  Now  that  I  know  this,"  he  con 
tinued,  addressing  the  captain:  "I'll  change  the 
course  of  the  Ark.  I'm  anxious  to  get  into  the  Indian 
Ocean  as  soon  as  possible.  It  would  be  a  great  waste 
of  time  to  go  back  in  order  to  cross  the  Sahara,  and 
with  this  increase  of  level  it  isn't  necessary.  We'll 
just  set  out  across  southern  France,  keeping  along 
north  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  so  down  into  the  region 
of  the  Mediterranean." 

Captain  Arms  was  astonished  by  the  boldness  of 
this  suggestion,  and  at  first  he  strongly  objected  to 
their  taking  such  a  course. 

"  There's  some  pretty  high  ground  in  southern 
France,"  he  said.  "  There's  the  Cevennes  Mountains, 
which  approach  a  good  long  way  toward  the 


248  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Pyrenees.  Are  you  sure  the  depth  of  water  is  the 
same  everywhere?  " 

"What  a  question  for  an  old  mariner  to  ask!" 
returned  Cosmo.  "  Don't  you  know  that  the  level 
of  the  sea  is  the  same  everywhere?  The  flood  doesn't 
make  any  difference.  It  seeks  its  level  like  any  other 
water." 

"  But  it  may  be  risky  steering  between  those  moun 
tains,"  persisted  the  captain. 

"  Nonsense !  As  long  as  the  sky  is  clear  you  can 
get  good  observations,  and  you  ought  to  be  navigator 
enough  not  to  run  on  a  mountain." 

Cosmo  Versal,  as  usual,  was  unalterable  in  his  reso 
lution — he  only  changed  when  he  had  reasons  of  his 
own — and  the  course  of  the  Ark  was  laid,  accordingly, 
for  the  old  French  coast  of  the  Landes,  so  low  that 
it  was  now  covered  with  nearly  four  thousand  feet  of 
water.  The  feelings  of  the  passengers  were  deeply 
stirred  when  tjiey  learned  that  they  were  actually  sail 
ing  over  buried  Europe,  and  they  gazed  in  astonish 
ment  at  the  water  beneath  them,  peering  down  into 
it  as  if  they  sought  to  discover  the  dreadful  secrets 
that  it  hid,  and  talking  excitedly  in  a  dozen  languages. 

The  Ark  progressed  slowly,  making  not  more  than 
five  or  six  knots,  and  on  the  second  day  after  they 
dropped  the  Penas  de  Europa  they  were  passing  along 
the  northern  flank  of  the  Pyrenees  and  over  the  basin 
in  which  had  lain  the  beautiful  city  of  Pau.  The 
view  of  the  Pyrenees  from  this  point  had  always  been 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         249 

celebrated  before  the  deluge  as  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  in  the  world. 

Now  it  had  lost  its  beauty,  but  gained  in  spectacu 
lar  grandeur.  All  of  France,  as  far  as  the  eye  ex 
tended,  was  a  sea,  with  long  oceanic  swells  slowly 
undulating  its  surface.  This  sea  abruptly  came  to 
an  end  where  it  met  the  mountains,  which  formed  for 
it  a  coast  unlike  any  that  the  hundreds  of  eyes  which 
wonderingly  surveyed  it  from  the  Ark  had  ever  be 
held. 

Beyond  the  drowned  vales  and  submerged  ranges, 
which  they  knew  lay  beneath  the  watery  floor,  before 
them,  rose  the  heads  of  the  Pic  du  Midi,  the  Pic  de 
Ger,  the  Pic  de  Bigorre,  the  Massif  du  Gabizos,  the 
Pic  Monne,  and  dozens  of  other  famous  eminences, 
towering  in  broken  ranks  like  the  bearskins  of  a  "  for 
lorn  hope,"  resisting  to  the  last,  in  pictures  of  old-time 
battles. 

Here,  owing  to  the  configuration  of  the  drowned 
land  it  was  possible  for  the  Ark  to  approach  quite 
close  to  some  of  the  wading  mountains,  and  Cosmo 
seized  the  opportunity  to  make  a  new  measure  of  the 
height  of  the  flood,  which  he  found  to  be  surely  not 
less  than  his  former  estimates  had  shown. 

Surveying  with  telescopes  the  immense  shoulders 
of  the  Monne,  the  Viscos,  the  d'Ardiden,  and  the 
nearer  heights,  when  they  were  floating  above  the 
valley  of  Lourdes,  Cosmo  and  the  captain  saw  the 
jterrible  effects  that  had  been  produced  by  the  torrents 


25o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

of  rain,  which  had  stripped  off  the  vegetation  whose 
green  robe  had  been  the  glory  of  the  high  Pyrenees 
on  the  French  side. 

Presently  their  attention  was  arrested  by  some  mov 
ing  objects,  and  at  a  second  glance  they  perceived 
that  these  were  human  beings. 

u  Good  Heaven !  "  exclaimed  Cosmo  Versal. 
"  There  are  survivors  here.  They  have  climbed  the 
mountains,  and  found  shelter  among  the  rocks.  I 
should  not  have  thought  it  possible." 

"  And  there  are  women  among  them,"  said  Cap 
tain  Arms,  lowering  his  telescope.  "  You  will  not 
leave  them  there !  " 

"  But  what  can  I  do?" 

"  Lower  away  the  boats,"  replied  the  captain. 
"  We've  got  plenty  of  them." 

"  There  may  be  thousands  there,"  returned  Cosmo, 
musing.  "  I  can't  take  them  all." 

"  Then  take  as  many  as  you  can.  By  gad,  sir,  /'// 
not  leave  'em  !  " 

By  this  time  some  of  the  passengers  who  had  pow 
erful  glasses  had  discovered  the  refugees  on  the  dis 
tant  heights,  and  great  excitement  spread  throughout 
the  Ark.  Cries  arose  from  all  parts  of  the  vessel: 

"  Rescue  them !  "  "  Go  to  their  aid !  "  "  Don't 
let  them  perish!  " 

Cosmo  Versal  was  in  a  terrible  quandary.  He  was 
by  no  means  without  humanity,  and  was  capable  of 
deep  and  sympathetic  feeling,  as  we  have  seen,  but 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         251 

he  already  had  as  many  persons  in  the  Ark  as  he 
thought  ought  to  be  taken,  considering  the  provision 
that  had  been  made,  and,  besides,  he  could  not  throw 
off,  at  once,  his  original  conviction  of  the  necessity 
of  carefully  choosing  his  companions.  He  remained 
for  a  long  time  buried  in  thought,  while  the  captain 
fumed  with  impatience  and  at  last  declared  that  if 
Cosmo  did  not  give  the  order  to  lower  away  the  boats 
he  would  do  it  himself. 

At  length  Cosmo,  yielding  rather  to  his  own  hu 
mane  feelings  than  to  the  urging  of  others,  consented 
to  make  the  experiment.  Half  a  dozen  levium 
launches  were  quickly  lowered  and  sent  off,  while  the 
Ark,  with  slowed  engines,  remained  describing  a  circle 
as  near  the  mountains  as  it  was  safe  to  go.  Cosmo 
himself  embarked  in  the  leading  boat. 

The  powerful  motors  of  the  launches  carried  them 
rapidly  to  the  high  slopes  where  the  unfortunates 
had  sought  refuge,  and  as  they  approached,  and  the 
poor  fugitives  saw  that  deliverance  was  at  hand,  they 
began  to  shout,  and  cheer,  and  cry,  and  many  of  them 
fell  on  their  knees  upon  the  rocks  and  stretched  their 
hands  toward  the  heavens. 

The  launches  were  compelled  to  move  with  great 
caution  when  they  got  near  the  ragged  sides  of  the 
submerged  mountains  (it  was  the  Peyre  Dufau  on 
which  the  people  had  taken  refuge),  but  the  men 
aboard  them  were  determined  to  effect  the  rescue,  and 
they  regarded  no  peril  too  closely.  At  last  Cosmo's 


252  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

launch  found  a  safe  landing,  and  the  others  quickly 
followed  it. 

When  Cosmo  sprang  out  on  a  flat  rock  a  crowd 
of  men,  women,  and  children,  weeping,  crying,  sob 
bing,  and  uttering  prayers  and  blessings,  instantly  sur 
rounded  him.  Some  wrung  his  hands  in  an  ecstasy 
of  joy,  some  embraced  him,  some  dropped  on  their 
knees  before  him  and  sought  to  kiss  his  hands.  Cosmo 
could  not  restrain  his  tears,  and  the  crews  of  the 
launches  were  equally  affected. 

Many  of  these  people  could  only  speak  the  patois 
of  the  mountains,  but  some  were  refugees  from  the 
resorts  in  the  valleys  below,  and  among  these  were 
two  English  tourists  who  had  been  caught  among  the 
mountains  by  the  sudden  rising  of  the  flood.  They 
exhibited  comparative  sang  froid,  and  served  as 
spokesmen  for  the  others. 

"  Bah  Jove !  "  exclaimed  one  of  them,  "  but  you're 
welcome,  you  know !  This  has  been  a  demnition  close 
call !  But  what  kind  of  a  craft  have  you  got  out 
there?" 

"  I'm  Cosmo  Versal." 

'Then  that's  the  Ark  we've  heard  about!  'Pon 
honor,  I  should  have  recognized  you,  for  I've  seen 
your  picture  often  enough.  You've  come  to  take  us 
off,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Cosmo.  "  How  many  are 
there?" 

"  All  that  you  see  here;  about  a  hundred,  I  should 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         253 

say.  No  doubt  there  are  others  on  the  mountains 
round.  There  must  have  been  a  thousand  of  us  when 
we  started,  but  most  of  them  perished,  overcome  by 
the  downpour,  or  swept  away  by  the  torrents.  Lord 
Swansdown  (indicating  his  companion,  who  bowed 
gravely  and  stiffly)  and  myself — I'm  Edward  Whist- 
lington — set  out  to  walk  over  the  Pyrenees  from  end 
to  end,  after  the  excitement  about  the  great  darkness 
died  out,  and  we  got  as  far  as  the  Marbore,  and  then 
running  down  to  Gavarnie  we  heard  news  of  the  sea 
rising,  but  we  didn't  give  too  much  credit  to  that,  and 
afterward,  keeping  up  in  the  heights,  we  didn't  hear 
even  a  rumor  from  the  world  below. 

'  The  sky  opened  on  us  like  a  broadside  from  an 
aerial  squadron,  and  how  we  ever  managed  to  get  here 
I'm  sure  I  can  hardly  tell.  We  were  actually  carried 
down  the  mountainsides  by  the  water,  and  how  it 
failed  to  drown  us  will  be  an  everlasting  mystery. 
Somehow,  we  found  ourselves  among  these  people, 
who  were  trying  to  go  up,  assuring  us  that  there  was 
nothing  but  water  below.  And  at  last  we  discovered 
some  sort  of  shelter  here — and  here  we've  been  ever 
since." 

'  You  cannot  have  had  much  to  eat,"  said  Cosmo. 

"  Not  too  much,  I  assure  you,"  replied  the  Eng 
lishman,  with  a  melancholy  smile.  "  But  these  people 
shared  with  us  what  little  they  had,  or  could  find — 
anything  and  everything  that  was  eatable.  They're 
a  devilish  fine  lot,  I  tell  you ! 


"254  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  When  the  terrible  rain  suddenly  ceased  and  the 
sky  cleared,"  he  resumed,  "  we  managed  to  get  dry, 
after  a  day  or  two,  and  since  then  we've  been  chewing 
leather  until  there  isn't  a  shoe  or  a  belt  left.  We 
thought  at  first  of  trying  to  build  rafts — but  then 
where  could  we  go  ?  It  wasn't  any  use  to  sail  out  over 
a  drowned  country,  with  nothing  in  sight  but  the 
mountains  around  us,  which  looked  no  better  than 
the  one  we  were  barely  existing  on." 

"  Then  I  must  get  you  aboard  the  Ark  before  you 
starve,"  said  Cosmo. 

"  Many  have  died  of  starvation  already,"  returned 
Whistlington.  "  You  can't  get  us  off  a  moment  too 
quick." 

Cosmo  Versal  had  by  this  time  freed  himself  of 
every  trace  of  the  reluctance  which  he  had  at  first 
felt  to  increasing  the  size  of  his  ship's  company  by 
adding  recruits  picked  up  at  random.  His  sympa 
thies  were  thoroughly  aroused,  and  while  he  hastened 
the  loading  and  departure  of  the  launches,  he  asked 
the  Englishmen  who,  with  the  impassive  endurance 
of  their  race,  stayed  behind  to  the  last,  whether  they 
thought  that  there  were  other  refugees  on  the  moun 
tains  whom  they  could  reach. 

"  I  dare  say  there  are  thousands  of  the  poor  devils 
on  these  peaks  around  us,  wandering  among  the 
rocks,"  replied  Edward  Whistlington,  "  but  I  fancy 
you  couldn't  reach  'em." 

"  If  I  see  any  I'll  try,"  returned  Cosmo,  sweeping 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         255 

with  his  powerful  telescope  all  the  mountain  flanks 
within  view. 

At  last,  on  the  slopes  of  the  lofty  Mont  Aigu  across 
the  submerged  valley  toward  the  south,  he  caught 
sight  of  several  human  figures,  one  of  which  was 
plainly  trying  to  make  signals,  probably  to  attract  at 
tention  from  the  Ark.  Immediately,  with  the  Eng 
lishmen  and  the  remainder  of  those  who  had  been 
found  on  the  Peyre  Dufau,  he  hastened  in  his  launch 
to  the  rescue. 

They  found  four  men  and  three  women,  who  had 
escaped  from  the  narrow  valley  containing  the  bains 
de  Gazost,  and  who  were  in  the  last  stages  of  starva 
tion.  These  were  taken  aboard,  and  then,  no  more 
being  in  sight,  Cosmo  returned  to  the  Ark,  where 
the  other  launches  had  already  arrived. 

And  these  were  the  last  that  were  rescued  from  the 
mighty  range  of  the  Pyrenees,  in  whose  deep  valleys 
had  lain  the  famous  resorts  of  Cauterets,  the  Eaux 
Bonnes,  the  Eaux  Chaudes,  the  Bagnieres  de  Luchon, 
the  Bagnieres  de  Bigorre,  and  a  score  of  others.  No 
doubt,  as  the  Englishmen  had  said,  thousands  had 
managed  to  climb  the  mountains,  but  none  could  now 
be  seen,  and  those  who  may  have  been  there  were  left 
to  perish. 

There  was  great  excitement  in  the  Ark  on  the  ar 
rival  of  the  refugees.  The  passengers  overwhelmed 
them  with  kind  attentions,  and  when  they  had  suf 
ficiently  recovered,  listened  with  wonder  and  the  deep- 


256  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

est  sympathy  to  their  exciting  tales  of  suffering  and 
terror. 

Lord  Swansdown  and  Edward  Whistlington  were 
amazed  to  find  their  king  aboard  the  Ark,  and  the 
English  members  of  the  company  soon  formed  a  sort 
of  family  party,  presided  over  by  the  unfortunate 
monarch.  The  rescued  persons  numbered,  in  all,  one 
hundred  and  six. 

The  voyage  of  the  Ark  was  now  resumed,  skirting 
the  Pyrenees,  but  at  an  increasing  distance.  Finally 
Captain  Arms  announced  that,  according  to  his  ob 
servations,  they  were  passing  over  the  site  of  the 
ancient  and  populous  city  of  Toulouse.  This  recalled 
to  Cosmo  VersaTs  memory  the  beautiful  scenes  of 
the  fair  and  rich  land  that  lay  so  deep  under  the  Ark, 
and  he  began  to  talk  with  the  captain  about  the  glories 
of  its  history. 

He  spoke  of  the  last  great  conqueror  that  the  world 
had  known,  Napoleon,  and  was  discussing  his  mar 
velous  career,  and  referring  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
died  on  a  rock  in  the  midst  of  that  very  ocean  which 
had  now  swallowed  up  all  the  scenes  of  his  conquests, 
when  the  lookout  telephoned  down  that  there  was 
something  visible  on  the  water  ahead. 

In  a  little  while  they  saw  it — a  small  moving  ob 
ject,  which  rapidly  approached  the  Ark.  As  it  drew 
nearer  both  exclaimed  at  once : 

"  The  Jules  Feme!  " 

There  could  be  no  mistaking  it.    It  was  riding  with 


OVER  DROWNED  EUROPE         257 

its  back  just  above  the  level  of  the  sea;  the  French 
flag  was  fluttering  from  a  small  mast,  and  already 
they  could  perceive  the  form  of  De  Beauxchamps, 
standing  in  his  old  attitude,  with  his  feet  below  the 
rim  of  the  circular  opening  at  the  top.  Cosmo  or 
dered  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  be  displayed  in  salute, 
and,  greatly  pleased  over  the  encounter,  hurried  be 
low  and  had  the  companion-ladder  made  ready. 

"He's  got  to  come  aboard  this  time,  anyhow!" 
he  exclaimed.  "  I'll  take  no  refusal.  I  want  to  know 
that  fellow  better." 

But  this  time  De  Beauxchamps  had  no  thought  of 
refusing  the  hospitalities  of  the  Ark.  As  soon  as  he 
was  within  hearing  he  called  out  : 

"  My  salutations  to  M.  Versal  and  his  charming 
fellow-voyagers.  May  I  be  permitted  to  come  aboard 
and  present  myself  in  person?  I  have  something 
deeply  interesting  to  tell." 

Everybody  in  the  Ark  who  could  find  a  standing- 
place  was  watching  the  Jules  Verne  and  trying  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  its  gallant  captain,  and  to  hear  what 
he  said;  and  the  moment  his  request  was  preferred  a 
babel  of  voices  arose,  amid  which  could  be  distin 
guished  such  exclamations  as: 

"Let  him  come!"  "A  fine  fellow!"  "Wel 
come,  De  Beauxchamps !  "  "  Hurrah  for  the  Jules 
Verne!  " 

King  Richard  was  in  the  fore  rank  of  the  spectators, 
waving  his  hand  to  his  preserver. 


258  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Certainly  you  can  come  aboard,"  cried  Cosmo 
heartily,  at  the  same  time  hastening  the  preparations 
for  lowering  the  ladder.  "  We  are  all  glad  to  see 
you.  And  bring  your  companions  along  with  you." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

TO   PARIS   UNDER  THE   SEA 

"T\E  BEAUXCHAMPS  accepted  Cosmo  Versal's 
^"^  invitation  to  bring  his  companions  with  him  into 
the  Ark.  The  submersible  was  safely  moored  along 
side,  where  she  rode  easily  in  company  with  the  larger 
vessel,  and  all  mounted  the  companion-ladder.  The 
Frenchman's  six  companions  were  dressed,  like  him 
self,  in  the  uniform  of  the  army. 

"  Curious,"  muttered  Captain  Arms  in  Cosmo's 
ear,  "  that  these  soldiers  should  be  the  only  ones  to 
get  off — and  in  a  vessel,  too.  What  were  the  seamen 
about?" 

"  What  were  our  seamen  about?  "  returned  Cosmo. 
"  How  many  of  them  got  off?  I  warned  them  that 
ships  would  not  do.  But  it  was  a  bright  idea  of  this 
De  Beauxchamps  and  his  friends  to  build  a  submersi 
ble.  It  didn't  occur  to  me,  or  I  would  have  advised 
their  construction  everywhere  for  small  parties.  But 
it  would  never  have  done  for  us.  A  submersible 
would  not  have  been  capacious  enough  for  the  party 
I  wanted  to  take." 

By  this  time  the  visitors  were  aboard,  and  Cosmo 
259 


260  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

and  the  others  who  could  get  near  enough  to  grasp 
them  by  the  hand  greeted  them  effusively.  King 
Richard  received  De  Beauxchamps  with  emotion,  and 
thanked  him  again  and  again  for  having  saved  his 
life;  but,  in  the  end,  he  covered  his  face  and  said  in 
a  broken  voice: 

"  M.  De  Beauxchamps,  my  gratitude  to  you  is  very 
deep — but,  oh,  the  queen — the  queen — and  the  chil 
dren  !  I  should  have  done  better  to  perish  with 
them." 

Cosmo  and  De  Beauxchamps  soothed  him  as  well 
as  they  could,  and  the  former  led  the  way  into  the 
grand  saloon,  in  order  that  as  many  as  possible  might 
see  and  greet  their  visitors,  who  had  come  so  mys 
teriously  up  out  of  the  sea. 

All  of  the  Frenchmen  were  as  affable  as  their 
leader,  and  he  presented  them  in  turn.  De  Beaux- 
champs  conversed  almost  gaily  with  such  of  the  ladies 
as  had  sufficient  command  of  their  feelings  to  join  the 
throng  that  pressed  about  him  and  his  companions. 
He  was  deeply  touched  by  the  story  of  the  recent 
rescue  of  his  countrymen  from  the  Pyrenees;  and  he 
went  among  them,  trying  to  cheer  them  up,  with  the 
elan  that  no  misfortune  can  eradicate  from  the  Gallic 
nature. 

At  length  Cosmo  reminded  him  that  he  had  said 
that  he  had  some  interesting  news  to  communicate. 

"  Yes,"  said  De  Beauxchamps,  "  I  have  just  come 
from  a  visit  to  Paris." 


Exclamations  of  amazement  and  incredulity  were 
heard  on  all  sides. 

u  It  is  true,"  resumed  the  Frenchman,  though  now 
his  voice  lost  all  its  gayety.  "  I  had  conceived  the 
project  of  such  a  visit  before  I  met  the  Ark  and  trans 
ferred  His  Majesty,  the  King  of  England,  to  your 
care.  As  soon  as  that  was  done  I  set  out  to  make  the 
attempt." 

"  But  tell  me  first,"  interrupted  Cosmo,  "  how  you 
succeeded  in  finding  the  Ark  again." 

"  That  was  not  very  difficult,"  replied  De  Beaux- 
champs,  smiling.  "  Of  course,  it  was  to  some  extent 
accidental,  for  I  didn't  know  that  you  would  be  here, 
navigating  over  France;  but  I  had  an  idea  that  you 
might  come  this  way  if  you  had  an  intention  of  seeing 
what  had  happened  to  Europe.  It  is  my  regular  cus 
tom  to  rise  frequently  to  the  surface  to  take  a  look 
around  and  make  sure  of  my  bearings,  and  you  know 
that  the  Ark  makes  a  pretty  large  point  on  the  wa 
ters.  I  saw  it  long  before  you  caught  sight  of  me." 
'  Very  well,"  said  Cosmo.  "  Please  go  on  with 
your  story.  It  must,  indeed,  be  an  extraordinary 
one." 

"  I  was  particularly  desirous  of  seeing  Paris  again, 
deep  as  I  knew  her  to  lie  under  the  waves,"  resumed 
De  Beauxchamps,  "  because  it  was  my  home,  and  I 
had  a  house  in  the  Champs  Elysees.  You  cannot 
divorce  the  heart  of  a  Frenchman  from  his  home, 
though  you  should  bury  it  under  twenty  oceans." 


262  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Your  family  were  lost?  " 

"  Thank  God,  I  had  no  family.  If  I  had  had 
they  would  be  with  me.  My  companions  are  all  like 
myself  in  that  respect.  We  have  lost  many  friends, 
but  no  near  relatives.  As  I  was  saying,  I  started  for 
France,  poor  drowned  France,  as  soon  as  I  left  you. 
With  the  powerful  searchlight  of  the  Jules  Verne  I 
could  feel  confident  of  avoiding  obstructions;  and, 
besides,  I  knew  very  closely  the  height  to  which  the 
flood  had  risen,  and  having  the  topography  of  my 
country  at  my  fingers'  ends,  as  does  every  officer  of 
the  army,  I  was  able  to  calculate  the  depth  at  which 
we  should  run  in  order  to  avoid  the  hilltops." 

"  But  surely,"  said  Cosmo,  "  it  is  impossible — at 
least,  it  seems  so  to  me — that  you  can  descend  to  any 
great  depth — the  pressure  must  be  tremendous  a  few 
hundred  feet  down,  to  say  nothing  of  possible  thou 
sands." 

"  All  that,"  replied  the  Frenchman,  "  has  been 
provided  for.  You  probably  do  not  know  to  what 
extent  we  had  carried  experiments  in  France  on  the 
deep  submersion  of  submarines  before  their  general 
abandonment  when  they  were  prohibited  by  interna 
tional  agreement  in  war.  I  was  myself  perhaps  the 
leader  in  those  investigations,  and  in  the  construction 
of  the  Jules  Verne  I  took  pains  to  improve  on  all  that 
had  hitherto  been  done. 

"  Without  going  into  any  description  of  my  de 
vices,  I  may  simply  remind  you  nature  has  pointed 


TO  PARIS  UNDER  THE  SEA        263 

out  ways  of  avoiding  the  consequences  of  the  incon 
ceivable  pressures  which  calculation  indicates  at 
depths  of  a  kilometer,  or  more,  in  her  construction 
of  the  deep-sea  fishes.  It  was  by  a  study  of  them  that 
I  arrived  at  the  secret  of  both  penetrating  to  depths 
that  would  theoretically  have  seemed  entirely  impossi 
ble  and  of  remaining  at  such  depths." 

"Marvelous!"  exclaimed  Cosmo;  "marvelous 
beyond  belief!  " 

"  I  may  add,"  continued  De  Beauxchamps,  smiling 
at  the  effect  that  his  words  had  had  upon  the  mind 
of  the  renowned  Cosmo  Versal,  "  that  the  peculiar 
properties  of  levium,  which  you  so  wisely  chose  for 
your  Ark,  aided  me  in  quite  a  different  way.  But  I 
must  return  to  my  story. 

'  We  passed  over  the  coast  of  France  near  the  point 
where  I  knew  lay  the  mouth  of  the  Loire.  I  could 
have  found  my  way  by  means  of  the  compass  suf 
ficiently  well;  but  since  the  sky  was  clear  I  frequently 
came  to  the  surface  in  order,  for  greater  certainty,  to 
obtain  sights  of  the  sun  and  stars. 

"  I  dropped  down  at  Tours  and  at  Blois,  and  we 
plainly  saw  the  walls  of  the  old  chateaux  in  the  gleam 
of  the  searchlight  below  us.  There  were  monsters 
of  the  deep,  such  as  the  eye  of  man  never  beheld, 
swimming  slowly  about  them,  many  of  them  throwing 
a  strange  luminosity  into  the  water  from  their  phos 
phorescent  organs,  as  if  they  were  inspecting  these 
novelties  of  the  sea-bottom. 


264  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Arrived  over  Orleans,  we  turned  in  the  direction 
of  Paris.  As  we  approached  the  site  of  the  city  I 
sank  the  submersible  until  we  almost  touched  the 
higher  hills.  My  searchlight  is  so  arranged  that  it 
can  be  directed  almost  every  way — up,  down,  to  this 
side,  and  to  that — and  we  swept  it  round  us  in  every 
direction. 

"  The  light  readily  penetrated  the  water  and  re 
vealed  sights  which  I  have  no  power  to  describe,  and 
some — reminders  of  the  immense  population  of  hu 
man  beings  which  had  there  met  its  end — which  I 
would  not  describe  if  I  could.  To  see  a  drowned  face 
suddenly  appear  outside  the  window,  almost  within 
touch — ah,  that  was  too  horrible ! 

"  We  passed  over  Versailles,  with  the  old  palace 
still  almost  intact;  over  Sevres,  with  its  porcelain 
manufactory  yet  in  part  standing — the  tidal  waves 
that  had  come  up  the  river  from  the  sea  evidently 
caused  much  destruction  just  before  the  downpour 
began — and  finally  we  '  entered  '  Paris. 

"  We  could  see  the  embankments  of  the  Seine  be 
neath  us  as  we  passed  up  its  course  from  the  Point 
du  Jour.  From  the  site  of  the  Champ  de  Mars  I 
turned  northward  in  search  of  the  older  part  of  the 
Champs  Elysees,  where  my  house  was,  and  we  came 
upon  the  great  Arc  de  Triomphe,  which,  you  remem 
ber,  dates  from  the  time  of  Napoleon. 

"  It  was  apparently  uninjured,  even  the  huge 
bronze  groups  remaining  in  their  places,  and  the 


TO  PARIS  UNDER  THE  SEA        265 

searchlight,  traversing  its  face,  fell  upon  the  heroic 
group  on  the  east  fagade  of  the  Marseillaise.  You 
must  have  seen  that,  M.  Versal?  " 

"  Yes,  many  a  time,"  Cosmo  replied.  "  The  fury 
in  the  face  of  the  female  figure  representing  the  spirit 
of  war,  chanting  the  '  Marseillaise,'  and,  sword  in 
hand,  sweeping  over  the  heads  of  the  soldiers,  is  the 
most  terrrible  thing  of  human  making  that  I  ever 
looked  upon." 

"  It  was  not  so  terrible  as  another  thing  that  our 
startled  eyes  beheld  there,"  said  De  Beauxchamps. 
"  Coiled  round  the  upper  part  of  the  arch,  with  its 
head  resting  directly  upon  that  of  the  figure  of  which 
you  speak,  was  a  monstrous,  ribbon-shaped  creature, 
whose  flat,  reddish  body,  at  least  a  meter  in  width  and 
apparently  thirty  meters  long,  and  bordered  with  a 
sort  of  floating  frill  of  a  pinkish  color,  undulated  with 
a  motion  that  turned  us  sick  at  heart. 

"  But  the  head  was  the  most  awful  object  that  the 
fancy  of  a  madman  could  conceive.  There  were  two 
great  round,  projecting  eyes,  encircled  with  what  I 
suppose  must  have  been  phosphorescent  organs,  which 
spread  around  in  the  water  a  green  light  that  was 
absolutely  horrifying. 

"  I  turned  away  the  searchlight,  and  the  eyes  of 
that  creature  stared  straight  at  us  with  a  dreadful, 
stony  look;  and  then  the  effect  of  the  phosphorescence, 
heightened  by  the  absence  of  the  greater  light,  be 
came  more  terrible  than  before.  We  were  unmanned, 


266  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

and  I  hardly  had  nerve  enough  to  turn  the  submersi 
ble  away  and  hurry  from  the  neighborhood." 

"  I  had  not  supposed,"  said  Cosmo,  "  that  crea 
tures  of  such  a  size  could  live  in  the  deeper  parts  of 
the  sea." 

"  I  know,"  returned  De  Beauxchamps,  "  that  many 
have  thought  that  the  abysmal  creatures  were  gen 
erally  of  small  size,  but  they  knew  nothing  about 
it.  What  could  one  have  expected  to  learn  of 
the  secrets  of  life  in  the  ocean  depths  from  the  small 
creatures  which  alone  the  trawls  brought  to  the  sur 
face?  The  great  monsters  could  not  be  captured  in 
that  way.  But  we  have  seen  them — seen  them  taking 
possession  of  beautiful,  drowned  Paris — and  we  know 
what  they  are." 

The  fascinated  hearers  who  had  crowded  about  to 
listen  to  the  narrative  of  De  Beauxchamps  shuddered 
at  this  part  of  it,  and  some  of  the  women  turned 
away  with  exclamations  of  horror. 

"  I  see  that  I  am  drawing  my  picture  in  too  fear 
ful  colors,"  he  said,  "  and  I  shall  refrain  from  telling 
of  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  abyss  that  we  found 
in  possession  of  what  I,  as  a  Frenchman,  must  call 
the  most  splendid  capital  that  the  world  contained. 

"  Oh,  to  think  that  all  that  beauty,  all  those  great 
palaces  filled  with  the  master-works  of  art,  all  those 
proud  architectural  piles,  all  that  scene  of  the  most 
joyous  life  that  the  earth  contained,  is  now  become 
the  dwelling-place  of  the  terrible  fauna  of  the  deep, 


TO  PARIS  UNDER  THE  SEA        267 

creatures  that  never  saw  the  sun;  that  never  felt  the 
transforming  force  of  the  evolution  which  had  made 
the  face  of  the  globe  so  glorious;  that  never  quitted 
their  abysmal  homes  until  this  awful  flood  spread 
their  empire  over  the  whole  earth !  " 

There  was  a  period  of  profound  silence  while  De 
Beauxchamps's  face  worked  spasmodically  under  the 
influence  of  emotions,  the  sight  of  which  would  alone 
have  sufficed  to  convince  his  hearers  of  the  truth  of 
what  he  had  been  telling.  Finally  Cosmo  Versal, 
breaking  the  silence,  asked: 

"  Did  you  find  your  home?  " 

"  Yes.  It  was  there.  I  found  it  out.  I  illuminated 
it  with  the  searchlight.  I  gazed  into  the  broken  win 
dows,  trying  to  peer  through  the  watery  medium  that 
filled  and  darkened  the  interior.  The  roof  was 
broken,  but  the  walls  were  intact.  I  thought  of  the 
happy,  happy  years  that  I  had  passed  there  when  I 
had  a  family,  and  when  Paris  was  an  Eden,  the  sun 
shine  of  the  world.  And  then  I  wished  to  see  no 
more,  and  we  rose  out  of  the  midst  of  that  sunken 
city  and  sought  the  daylight  far  above. 

"  I  had  thought  to  tell  you,"  he  continued,  after 
a  pause,  "  of  the  condition  in  which  we  found  the 
great  monuments  of  the  city — of  the  Pantheon,  yet 
standing  on  its  hill  with  its  roof  crushed  in;  of  Notre 
Dame — a  wreck,  but  the  towers  still  standing  proudly; 
of  the  old  palace  of  the  Louvre,  through  whose 
broken  roofs  and  walls  we  caught  glimpses  of  the 


268  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

treasures  washed  by  the  water  within — but  I  find  that 
I  have  not  courage  to  go  on.  I  had  imagined  that 
it  would  be  a  relief  to  speak  of  these  things,  but  I 
do  not  find  it  so." 

"  After  leaving  Paris,  then  you  made  no  other  ex 
plorations?  "  said  Cosmo. 

"  None.  I  should  have  had  no  heart  for  more.  I 
had  seen  enough.  And  yet  I  do  not  regret  that  I 
went  there.  I  should  never  have  been  content  not  to 
have  seen  my  beautiful  city  once  more,  even  lying  in 
her  watery  shroud.  I  loved  her  living;  I  have  seen 
her  dead.  It  is  finished.  What  more  is  there,  M. 
Versal?  "  With  a  sudden  change  of  manner:  "  You 
have  predicted  all  this,  and  perhaps  you  know  more. 
Where  do  we  go  to  die?  " 

"  We  shall  not  die,"  replied  Cosmo  Versal  force 
fully.  "  The  Ark  and  your  Jules  Feme  will  save 
us." 

4  To  what  purpose?"  demanded  the  Frenchman, 
his  animation  all  gone.  "  Can  there  be  any  pleasure 
in  floating  upon  or  beneath  the  waves  that  cover  a 
lost  world?  Is  a  brief  prolongation  of  such  a  life 
worth  the  effort  of  grasping  for?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Cosmo  with  still  greater  energy. 
"  We  may  still  save  the  race.  I  have  chosen  most  of 
my  companions  in  the  Ark  for  that  purpose.  Not 
only  may  we  save  the  race  of  man,  but  we  may  lead 
it  up  upon  a  higher  plane;  we  may  apply  the  principles 
of  eugenics  as  they  have  never  yet  been  applied.  You, 


TO  PARIS  UNDER  THE  SEA        269 

M.  De  Beauxchamps,  have  shown  that  you  are  of  the 
stock  that  is  required  for  the  regeneration  of  the 
world." 

"  But  where  can  the  world  be  regenerated?  "  asked 
De  Beauxchamps  with  a  bitter  laugh.  "  There  is 
nothing  left  but  mountain-tops." 

"  Even  they  will  be  covered,"  said  Cosmo. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  the  deluge  has  not  yet  reached 
its  height?  " 

"  Certainly  it  has  not.  We  are  in  an  open  space 
in  the  enveloping  nebula.  After  a  little  we  shall  enter 
the  nucleus,  and  then  will  come  the  worst." 

"  And  yet  you  talk  of  saving  the  race !  "  exclaimed 
the  Frenchman  with  another  bitter  laugh. 

"  I  do,"  replied  Cosmo,  "  and  it  will  be  done." 

"But  how?" 

'  Through  the  re-emergence  of  land." 

'  That  recalls  our  former  conversation,"  put  in 
Professor  Abel  Able.  "  It  appears  to  me  impossible 
that,  when  the  earth  is  once  covered  with  a  universal 
ocean,  it  can  ever  disappear  or  materially  lower  its 
level.  Geological  ages  would  be  required  for  the  level 
of  the  water  to  be  lowered  even  a  few  feet  by  the 
escape  of  vapor  into  space." 

"  No,"  returned  Cosmo  Versal,  "  I  have  demon 
strated  that  that  idea  is  wrong.  Under  the  immense 
pressure  of  an  ocean  rising  six  miles  above  the  ancient 
sea  level  the  water  will  rapidly  be  forced  into  the  in 
terstices  of  the  crust,  and  thus  a  material  reduction 


27o  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

of  level  will  be  produced  within  a  few  years — five  at 
the  most.  That  will  give  us  a  foothold.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  even  now  the  water  around  us  is  slightly 
lowering  through  that  cause. 

"  But  in  itself  that  will  not  be  sufficient.  I  have 
gone  all  over  this  ground  in  my  original  calculations. 
The  intrusion  of  the  immense  mass  of  ocean  water  into 
the  interior  of  the  crust  of  the  earth  will  result  in  a 
grand  geological  upheaval.  The  lands  will  re-emerge 
above  the  new  sea  level  as  they  emerged  above  the 
former  one  through  the  internal  stresses  of  the  globe." 

The  scientific  men  present  listened  with  breathless 
interest,  but  some  of  them  with  many  incredulous 
shakings  of  the  head. 

'  You  must  be  aware,"  continued  Cosmo,  address 
ing  them  particularly,  "  that  it  has  been  demonstrated 
that  the  continents  and  the  great  mountain  ranges  are 
buoyed  up,  and,  as  it  were,  are  floating  somewhat 
like  slags  on  the  internal  magma.  The  mean  density 
of  the  crust  is  less  under  the  land  and  the  mountains 
than  under  the  old  sea-beds.  This  is  especially  true 
of  the  Himalayan  region. 

"  That  uplift  is  probably  the  most  recent  of  all, 
and  it  is  there,  where  at  present  the  highest  land  of 
the  globe  exists,  that  I  expect  that  the  new  upheaval 
will  be  most  strongly  manifested.  It  is  for  that  rea 
son,  and  not  merely  because  it  is  now  the  highest  part 
of  the  earth,  that  I  am  going  with  the  Ark  to  Asia." 

"  But,"  said  Professor  Jeremiah  Moses,  "  the  up- 


TO  PARIS  UNDER  THE  SEA        271 

heaval  of  which  you  speak  may  produce  a  complete 
revolution  in  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  if  new 
lands  are  upthrust  they  may  appear  at  unexpected 
points." 

"  Not  at  all,"  returned  Cosmo.  "  The  tectonic 
features  of  the  globe  were  fixed  at  the  beginning.  As 
Asia  has  hitherto  been  the  highest  and  the  greatest 
mass  of  land,  it  will  continue  to  be  so  in  the  future. 
It  is  there,  believe  me,  that  we  shall  replant  the  seed 
of  humanity." 

"  Do  you  not  think,"  asked  Professor  Alexander 
Jones,  "  that  there  will  be  a  tremendous  outburst  of 
volcanic  energy,  if  such  upheavals  occur,  and  may  not 
that  render  the  re-emerging  lands  uninhabitable?  " 

"  No  doubt,"  Cosmo  replied,  "  every  form  of  plu- 
tonic  energy  will  be  immensely  re-enforced.  You  re 
member  the  recent  outburst  of  all  the  volcanoes  when 
the  sea  burst  over  the  borders  of  the  continents.  But 
these  forces  will  be  mainly  expended  in  an  effort  of 
uplifting.  Unquestionably  there  will  be  great  vol 
canic  spasms,  but  they  will  not  prevent  the  occupa 
tion  of  the  broadening  areas  of  land  which  will  not 
be  thus  affected." 

"  Upon  these  lands,"  exclaimed  Sir  Wilfrid  Athel- 
stone,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  I  will  develop  life  from  the 
barren  minerals  of  the  crust.  The  age  of  chemical 
parthenogenesis  will  then  have  dawned  upon  the 
earth,  and  man  will  have  become  a  creator." 

'  Will  the  Sir  Englishman  give  me  room  for  a 


272  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

word!  "  cried  Costake  Theriade,  raising  his  tall  form 
on  his  toes  and  agitating  his  arms  in  the  air.  "  He 
will  create  not  anything!  It  is  /  that  will  unloose 
the  energies  of  the  atoms  of  matter  and  make  of  the 
new  man  a  new  god." 

Cosmo  Versal  quieted  the  incipient  outbreak  of  his 
jealous  "  speculative  geniuses,"  and  the  discussion  of 
his  theory  was  continued  for  some  time.  At  length 
De  Beauxchamps,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  exclaimed, 
with  a  return  of  his  habitual  gayety: 

"  Tres  bien!  Vive  the  world  of  Cosmo  Versal !  I 
salute  the  new  Eve  that  is  to  come !  " 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  ADVENTURES  IN  COLORADO 

117 HEN  Professor  Pludder,  the  President,  and 
their  companions  on  the  aero-raft,  saw  the 
three  men  on  the  bluff  motioning  and  shouting  to 
them,  they  immediately  sought  the  means  of  bringing 
their  craft  to  land.  This  did  not  prove  to  be  exceed 
ingly  difficult,  for  there  was  a  convenient  rock  with 
deep  water  around  it  on  which  they  could  disembark. 

The  men  ran  down  to  meet  them,  and  to  help  them 
ashore,  exhibiting  the  utmost  astonishment  at  seeing 
them  there. 

'  Whar  in  creation  did  you  come  from?"  ex 
claimed  one,  giving  the  professor  a  pull  up  the  bank. 
"  Mebbe  you're  Cosmo  Versal,  and  that's  yer  Ark." 

"  I'm  Professor  Pludder,  and  this  is  the  President 
of  the  United  States." 

'  The  President  of  the  Un—  See  here,  stranger, 
I'll  take  considerable  from  you,  considering  the  fix 
yer  in,  but  you  don't  want  to  go  too  fur." 

"  It's  true,"  asseverated  the  professor.  u  This 
gentleman  is  the  President,  and  we've  escaped  from 
Washington.  Please  help  the  ladies." 

"  I'll  help  the  ladies  all  right,  but  I'm  blamed  if 
273 


274  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

I  believe  yer  yarn.  How'd  you  git  here?  You 
couldn't  hev  floated  across  the  continent  on  that 
thing." 

'  We  came  on  the  raft  that  you  see,"  interrupted 
Mr.  Samson.  "  We  left  the  Appalachian  Mountains 
two  weeks  ago." 

'  Well,  by — it  must  be  true !  "  muttered  the  man. 
'  They  couldn't  hev  come  from  anywhar  else  in  that 
direction.    I  reckon  the  hull  blamed  continent  is  under 
water." 

"  So  it  is,"  said  Professor  Pludder,  "  and  we  made 
for  Colorado,  knowing  that  it  was  the  only  land  left 
above  the  flood." 

All  finally  got  upon  the  bluff,  rejoiced  to  feel  solid 
ground  once  more  beneath  their  feet.  But  it  was  a 
desolate  prospect  that  they  saw  before  them.  The 
face  of  the  land  had  been  scoured  and  gullied  by  the 
pouring  waters,  the  vegetation  had  been  stripped  off, 
except  where  in  hollows  it  had  been  covered  with  new- 
formed  lakes,  some  of  which  had  drained  off  after  the 
downpour  ceased,  the  water  finding  its  way  into  the 
enveloping  sea. 

They  asked  the  three  men  what  had  become  of 
the  other  inhabitants,  and  whether  there  was  any 
shelter  at  hand. 

"  We've  be'n  wiped  out,"  said  the  original  spokes 
man.  "  Cosmo  Versal  has  done  a  pretty  clean  job 
with  his  flood.  There's  a  kind  of  a  cover  that  we 
three  hev  built,  a  ways  back  yonder,  out  o'  timber  o' 


THE  ADVENTURES  IN  COLORADO   275 

one  kind  and  another  that  was  lodged  about.  But 
it  wouldn't  amount  to  much  if  there  was  another 
cloudburst.  It  wouldn't  stand  a  minute.  It's  good  to 
sleep  in." 

"  Are  you  the  only  survivors  in  this  region?  "  asked 
the  President. 

"  I  reckon  you  see  all  thet's  left  of  us.  The'  ain't 
one  out  o'  a  hundred  that's  left  alive  in  these  parts." 

"  What  became  of  them?  " 

"  Swept  off !  "  replied  the  man,  with  an  expressive 
gesture—  "  and  drownded  right  out  under  the  sky." 

"  And  how  did  you  and  your  companions  escape?  " 

"  By  gitting  up  amongst  some  rocks  that  was 
higher'n  the  average." 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  live — what  did  you  have 
to  eat?" 

'  We  didn't  eat  much — we  didn't  hev  much  time 
to  think  o'  eatin'.  We  had  one  hoss  with  us,  and  he 
served,  when  his  time  come.  After  the  sky  cleared 
we  skirmished  about  and  dug  up  something  that  we 
could  manage  to  eat,  lodged  in  gullies  where  the  water 
had  washed  together  what  had  been  in  houses  and 
cellars.  We've  got  a  gun  and  a  little  ammunition, 
and  once  in  a  while  we  could  kill  an  animal  that  had 
contrived  to  escape  somehow." 

"  And  you  think  that  there  are  no  other  human 
beings  left  alive  anywhere  around  here?  " 

"  I  know  th'  ain't.  The's  probably  some  up  in  the 
foothills,  and  around  the  Pike.  They  had  a  better 


276  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

chance  to  git  among  rocks.  We  bed  jest  made  up  our 
minds  to  go  hunting  for  'em  when  we  ketched  sight 
o'  you,  and  then  we  concluded  to  stay  and  see  who  you 
was." 

"  I'm  surprised  that  you  didn't  go  sooner." 
'  We  couldn't.     There  was  a  roarin'  torrent  com 
ing  down  from  the  mountains  that  cut  us  off.     It's 
only  last  night  that  it  stopped." 

"  Well,  it's  evident  that  we  cannot  stay  here,"  said 
Professor  Pludder.  "  We  must  go  with  these  men 
toward  the  mountains.  Let  us  take  what's  left  of 
the  compressed  provisions  out  of  the  raft,  and  then 
we'll  eat  a  good  meal  and  be  off." 

The  three  men  were  invited  to  share  the  repast, 
and  they  ate  with  an  appetite  that  would  have  amused 
their  hosts  if  they  had  not  been  so  anxious  to  reserve 
as  much  as  possible  of  their  provisions  for  future 
necessities. 

The  meal  finished,  they  started  off,  their  new 
friends  aiding  to  carry  provisions,  and  what  little 
extra  clothing  there  was.  The  aspect  of  the  country 
they  traversed  affrighted  them.  Here  and  there  were 
partially  demolished  houses  or  farm  structures,  or 
cellars,  choked  with  debris  of  what  had  once  been 
houses. 

Farm  implements  and  machinery  were  scattered 
about  and  half  buried  in  the  torrent-furrowed  land. 
In  the  wreck  of  one  considerable  village  through 
which  they  passed  they  found  a  stone  church,  and 


THE  ADVENTURES  IN  COLORADO   277 

several  stone  houses  of  considerable  pretensions, 
standing  almost  intact  as  to  walls,  but  with  roofs, 
doors,  and  windows  smashed  and  torn  off. 

It  was  evident  that  this  place,  which  lay  in  a  de 
pression  of  the  land,  had  been  buried  by  the  rushing 
water  as  high  as  the  top  stories  of  the  buildings. 
From  some  of  the  sights  that  they  saw  they  shrank 
away,  and  afterward  tried  to  forget  them. 

Owing  to  the  presence  of  the  women  and  children 
their  progress  was  slower  than  it  might  overwise  have 
been.  They  had  great  difficulty  in  crossing  the  course 
of  the  torrent  which  their  companions  had  described 
as  cutting  them  off  from  the  foothills  of  the  Pike's 
Peak  range. 

The  water  had  washed  out  a  veritable  canon,  a 
hundred  or  more  feet  deep  in  places,  and  with  ragged, 
precipitous  walls  and  banks,  which  they  had  to  de 
scend  on  one  side  and  ascend  on  the  other.  Here  the 
skill  and  local  knowledge  of  their  three  new-found 
friends  stood  them  in  good  stead.  There  was  yet 
enough  water  in  the  bottom  of  the  great  gully  to 
compel  them  to  wade,  carrying  the  women  and  chil 
dren. 

But,  just  before  nightfall,  they  succeeded  in  reach 
ing  a  range  of  rocky  heights,  where  they  determined 
to  pass  the  night.  They  managed  to  make  a  fire  with 
brush  that  had  been  swept  down  the  mountain  flanks 
and  had  remained  wedged  in  the  rocks,  and  thus  they 
dried  their  soaked  garments,  and  were  able  to  do 


278  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

some  cooking,  and  to  have  a  blaze  to  give  them  a  little 
heat  during  the  night,  for  the  air  turned  cold  after 
the  disappearance  of  the  sun. 

When  the  others  had  sunk  into  an  uneasy  slumber, 
the  President  and  Professor  Pludder  sat  long,  re 
plenishing  the  fire,  and  talking  of  what  would  be 
their  future  course. 

"  I  think,"  said  the  professor,  "  that  we  shall  find 
a  considerable  population  alive  among  the  mountains. 
There  is  nothing  in  Colorado  below  four  thousand 
feet  elevation,  and  not  much  below  five  thousand. 
The  great  inner  '  parks  '  were  probably  turned  into 
lakes,  but  they  will  drain  off,  as  the  land  around  us 
here  has  done  already. 

'  Those  who  managed  to  find  places  of  compara 
tive  shelter  will  now  descend  into  the  level  lands  and 
try  to  hunt  up  the  sites  of  their  homes.  If  only  some 
plants  and  grain  have  been  preserved  they  can,  after 
a  fashion,  begin  to  cultivate  the  soil." 

"  But  there  is  no  soil,"  said  the  President,  shud 
dering  at  the  recollection  of  the  devastation  he  had 
witnessed.  "  It  has  all  been  washed  off." 

"  No,"  replied  the  professor,  "  there's  yet  a  good 
deal  in  the  low  places,  where  the  water  rested." 

"  But  it  is  now  the  middle  of  winter." 

"  Reckoned  by  the  almanac  it  is,  but  you  see  that 
the  temperature  is  that  of  summer,  and  has  been  such 
for  months.  I  think  that  this  is  due  in  some  way  to 
the  influence  of  the  nebula,  although  I  cannot  account 


for  it.     At  any  rate  it  will  be  possible  to  plant  and 
sow. 

"  The  whole  body  of  the  atmosphere  having  been 
raised  four  thousand  feet,  the  atmospheric  conditions 
here  now  are  virtually  the  same  as  at  the  former  sea- 
level.  If  we  can  find  the  people  and  reassure  them, 
we  must  take  the  lead  in  restoring  the  land  to  fer 
tility,  and  also  in  the  reconstruction  of  homes." 

"  Suppose  the  flood  should  recommence?  " 

"  There  is  no  likelihood  of  it." 

"  Then,"  said  the  President,  putting  his  face  be 
tween  his  hands  and  gazing  sadly  into  the  fire,  "  here 
is  all  that  remains  of  the  mightiest  nation  of  the 
world,  the  richest,  the  most  populous — and  we  are  to 
build  up  out  of  this  remnant  a  new  fatherland." 

'  This  is  not  the  only  remnant,"  said  Professor 
Pludder.  "  One-quarter,  at  least,  of  the  area  of  the 
United  States  is  still  above  sea-level.  Think  of  Ari 
zona,  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Nevada,  the  larger  part 
of  California,  Wyoming,  a  part  of  Montana,  two- 
thirds  of  Idaho,  a  half  of  Oregon  and  Washington — 
all  above  the  critical  level  of  four  thousand  feet, 
and  all  except  the  steepest  moutainsides  can  be  re 
claimed. 

1  There  is  hope  for  our  country  yet.  Remember 
that  the  climate  of  this  entire  region  will  now  be 
changed,  since  the  barometric  isobars  have  been  lifted 
up,  and  the  line  of  thirty  inches  pressure  now  meets 
the  edge  of  the  Colorado  plateau.  There  may  be 


280  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

a  corresponding  change  in  the  rainfall  and  in  all  the 
conditions  of  culture  and  fertility." 

"  Yes,"  sighed  the  President,  "  but  I  cannot,  I  can 
not  withdraw  my  mind  from  the  thought  of  the  mil 
lions,  millions,  millions  who  have  perished !  " 

"  I  do  not  say  that  we  should  forget  them,"  replied 
Professor  Pludder;  "  Heaven  forbid!  But  I  do  say 
that  we  must  give  our  attention  to  those  that  remain, 
and  turn  our  faces  steadily  toward  the  future." 

"  Abiel,"  returned  the  President,  pressing  the  pro 
fessor's  hand,  "  you  are  right.  My  confidence  in  you 
was  shaken,  but  now  I  follow  you  again." 

Thus  they  talked  until  midnight,  and  then  got  a  lit 
tle  rest  with  the  others.  They  were  up  and  off  at 
break  of  day,  and  as  they  mounted  higher  they  began 
to  encounter  immense  rocks  that  had  come  tumbling 
down  from  above. 

"  How  can  you  talk  of  people  escaping  toward  the 
mountains  if  they  had  to  encounter  these?  "  demanded 
the  President. 

"  Some  of  these  rocks  have  undoubtedly  been 
brought  down  by  the  torrents,"  Professor  Pludder 
replied,  "  but  I  believe  that  the  greater  number  fell 
earlier,  during  the  earthquakes  that  accompanied  the 
first  invasions  of  the  sea." 

"  But  those  earthquakes  may  have  continued  all 
through." 

"  I  do  not  think  so.  We  have  felt  no  trembling 
of  the  earth.  I  believe  that  the  convulsions  lasted 


THE  ADVENTURES  IN  COLORADO   281 

only  for  a  brief  period,  while  the  rocks  were  yielding 
to  the  pressure  along  the  old  sea-coast.  After  a  little 
the  crust  below  adjusted  itself  to  the  new  conditions. 
And  even  if  the  rocks  fell  while  people  were  trying 
to  escape  from  the  flood  below,  they  must,  like  the 
water,  have  followed  the  gorges  and  hollow  places, 
while  the  fugitives  would,  of  course,  keep  upon  the 
ridges." 

Whatever  perils  they  may  have  encountered,  people 
had  certainly  escaped  as  the  professor  had  averred. 
When  the  party,  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  were  seated 
at  their  lunch,  on  an  elevated  point  from  which  they 
could  see  far  over  the  strange  ocean  that  they  had 
left  behind  them,  while  the  southern  buttresses  of 
Pike's  Peak  rose  steeply  toward  the  north,  they  dis 
covered  the  first  evidence  of  the  existence  of  refugees 
in  the  mountains.  This  was  a  sjnoke  rising  over  an 
intervening  ridge,  which  their  new  companions  de 
clared  could  be  due  to  nothing  less  than  a  large  camp- 
fire. 

They  hastened  to  finish  their  meal,  and  then 
climbed  the  ridge.  As  soon  as  they  were  upon  it  they 
found  themselves  looking  down  into  a  broad,  shallow 
canon,  where  there  were  nearly  twenty  rudely  con 
structed  cabins,  with  a  huge  fire  blazing  in  the  midst 
of  the  place,  and  half  a  dozen  red-shirted  men  busy 
about  it,  evidently  occupied  in  the  preparation  of  the 
dinner  of  a  large  party. 

Their  friends  recognized  an  acquaintance  in  one 


282  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

of  the  men  below  and  hailed  him  with  delight.  In 
stantly  men,  women,  and  children  came  running  out 
of  the  huts  to  look  at  them,  and  as  they  descended 
into  this  improvised  village  they  were  received  with 
a  hospitality  that  was  almost  hilarious. 

The  refugees  consisted  of  persons  who  had  escaped 
from  the  lower  lands  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and 
they  were  struck  dumb  when  told  that  they  were  en 
tertaining  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  his 
family. 

The  entire  history  of  their  adventures  was  related 
on  both  sides.  The  refugees  told  how,  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  great  rain,  when  it  became  evident 
that  the  water  would  inundate  their  farms  and  build 
ings,  they  loaded  themselves  with  as  many  provisions 
as  they  could  carry,  and,  in  spite  of  the  suffocating 
downpour  that  filled  the  air,  managed  to  fight  their 
way  to  the  ridge  overhanging  the  deep  cut  in  which 
they  were  now  encamped. 

Hardly  a  quarter  of  those  who  started  arrived  in 
safety.  They  sheltered  themselves  to  the  number  of 
about  thirty,  in  a  huge  cavern,  which  faced  down  the 
mountain,  and  had  a  slightly  upward  sloping  floor, 
so  that  the  water  did  not  enter.  Here,  by  careful 
economy,  they  were  able  to  eke  out  their  provisions 
until  the  sky  cleared,  after  which  the  men,  being  used 
to  outdoor  labor  and  hunting,  contrived  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  forlorn  little  community. 

They  managed  to  kill  a  few  animals,  and  found  the 


THE  ADVENTURES  IN  COLORADO   283 

bodies  of  others  recently  killed,  or  drowned.  Later 
they  descended  into  the  lowlands,  as  the  water  ran 
off,  and  searching  among  the  ruins  of  their  houses 
found  some  remnants  of  supplies  in  the  cellars  and 
about  the  foundations  of  the  barns.  They  were  pre 
paring  to  go  down  in  a  body  and  seek  to  re-establish 
themselves  on  the  sites  of  their  old  homes,  when  the 
President's  party  came  upon  them. 

The  meeting  with  these  refugees  was  but  the  first 
of  a  series  of  similar  encounters  on  the  way  along 
the  eastern  face  of  the  Pike's  Peak  range.  In  the 
aggregate  they  met  several  hundred  survivors  who 
had  established  themselves  on  the  site  of  Colorado 
Springs,  where  a  large  number  of  houses,  standing  on 
the  higher  ground,  had  escaped. 

They  had  been  soaked  with  water,  descending 
through  the  shattered  roofs  and  broken  windows,  and 
pouring  into  the  basements  and  cellars.  The  fugitives 
came  from  all  directions,  some  from  the  caverns  on 
the  mountains,  and  some  from  the  rocks  toward  the 
north  and  east.  A  considerable  number  asserted  that 
they  had  found  refuge  in  the  Garden  of  the  Gods. 

As  near  as  could  be  estimated,  about  a  quarter  of 
the  population  remained  alive. 

The  strong  points  of  Professor  Pludder  now,  once 
more,  came  out  conspicuously.  He  proved  himself 
an  admirable  organizer.  He  explored  all  the  country 
round,  and  enheartened  everybody,  setting  them  to 
work  to  repair  the  damage  as  much  as  possible. 


284  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Some  horses  and  cattle  were  found  which,  follow 
ing  their  instincts,  had  managed  to  escape  the  flood. 
In  the  houses  and  other  buildings  yet  standing  a  great 
deal  of  food  and  other  supplies  were  discovered,  so 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  a  famine.  As  he  had 
anticipated,  the  soil  had  not  all  been  washed  away 
from  the  flat  land,  and  he  advised  the  inhabitants  to 
plant  quick-growing  seeds  at  once. 

He  utilized  the  horses  to  send  couriers  in  all  direc 
tions,  some  going  even  as  far  as  Denver.  Everywhere 
virtually  the  same  conditions  were  found — many  had 
escaped  and  were  alive,  only  needing  the  guidance 
of  a  quicker  intelligence,  and  this  was  supplied  by  the 
advice  which  the  professor  instructed  his  envoys  to 
spread  among  the  people.  He  sought  to  cheer  them 
still  more  by  the  information  that  the  President  was 
among  them,  and  looking  out  for  their  welfare. 

One  thing  which  his  couriers  at  last  began  to  re 
port  to  him  was  a  cause  of  surprise.  They  said  that 
the  level  of  the  water  was  rapidly  falling.  Some  who 
had  gone  far  toward  the  east  declared  that  it  had 
gone  down  hundreds  of  feet.  But  the  professor  re 
flected  that  this  was  impossible,  because  evaporation 
could  not  account  for  it,  and  he  could  not  persuade 
himself  that  so  much  water  could  have  found  its  way 
into  the  interior  of  the  crust. 

He  concluded  that  his  informants  had  allowed  their 
hopes  to  affect  their  eyesight,  and,  strong  as  usual  in 
his  professional  dogmas,  he  made  no  personal  exam- 


ination.  Besides,  Professor  Pludder  was  beginning 
to  be  shaken  in  his  first  belief  that  all  trouble  from 
the  nebula  was  at  an  end.  Once  having  been  forced 
to  accept  the  hypothesis  that  a  watery  nebula  had  met 
the  earth,  he  began  to  reflect  that  they  might  not  be 
through  with  it. 

In  any  event,  he  deemed  it  wise  to  prepare  for  it  if 
it  should  come  back.  Accordingly  he  advised  that 
the  population  that  remained  should  concentrate  in 
the  stronger  houses,  built  of  stone,  and  that  every 
effort  should  be  made  to  strengthen  them  further  and 
to  make  the  roofs  as  solid  as  possible.  He  also  di 
rected  that  no  houses  should  be  occupied  that  were 
not  situated  on  high  ground,  surrounded  with  slopes 
that  would  give  ready  flow  to  the  water  in  case  the 
deluging  rain  should  recommence. 

He  had  no  fixed  conviction  that  it  would  recom 
mence,  but  he  was  uneasy,  owing  to  his  reflections, 
and  wished  to  be  on  the  safe  side.  He  sent  similar 
instructions  as  far  as  his  horsemen  could  reach. 

The  wisdom  of  his  doubts  became  manifest  about 
two  weeks  after  the  arrival  of  the  President's  party. 
Without  warning  the  sky,  which  had  been  perfectly 
blue  and  cloudless  for  a  month,  turned  a  sickly  yellow. 
Then  mists  hid  the  head,  and  in  a  little  while  the 
entire  outline  of  Pike's  Peak,  and  after  that  a  heavy 
rain  began. 

Terror  instantly  seized  the  people,  and  at  first 
nobody  ventured  out  of  doors.  But  as  time  went  on 


286  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

and  the  rain  did  not  assume  the  proportions  of  the 
former  debacle,  although  it  was  very  heavy  and  con 
tinuous,  hope  revived.  Everybody  was  on  the  watch 
for  a  sudden  clearing  up. 

Instead  of  clearing,  however,  the  rain  became  very 
irregular,  gushing  at  times  in  torrents  which  were 
even  worse  than  the  original  downpour,  but  these 
tremendous  gushes  were  of  brief  duration,  so  that 
the  water  had  an  opportunity  to  run  off  the  higher 
ground  before  the  next  downpour  occurred. 

This  went  on  for  a  week,  and  then  the  people  were 
terrified  at  finding  that  water  was  pouring  up  through 
all  the  depressions  of  the  land,  cutting  off  the  high 
lands  from  Pike's  Peak  with  an  arm  of  the  sea.  It 
was  evident  that  the  flood  had  been  rapidly  rising,  and 
if  it  should  rise  but  little  higher  they  would  be  caught 
in  a  trap.  The  inland  sea,  it  was  clear,  had  now 
invaded  the  whole  of  Colorado  to  the  feet  of  the 
mountains,  and  was  creeping  up  on  them. 

Just  at  this  time  a  series  of  earthquakes  began. 
They  were  not  severe,  but  were  continuous.  The 
ground  cracked  open  in  places,  and  some  houses  were 
overturned,  but  there  were  no  wall-shattering  shocks 
—only  a  continual  and  dreadful  trembling,  accom 
panied  by  awful  subterranean  sounds. 

This  terrible  state  of  affairs  had  lasted  for  a  day 
before  a  remarkable  discovery  was  made,  which  filled 
many  hearts  with  joy,  although  it  seemed  to  puzzle 
Professor  Pludder  as  much  as  it  rejoiced  him. 


THE  ADVENTURES  IN  COLORADO   287 

The  new  advance  of  the  sea  was  arrested !  There 
could  be  no  question  of  that,  for  too  many  had  anx 
iously  noted  the  points  to  which  the  water  had  at 
tained. 

We  have  said  that  Professor  Pludder  was  puzzled. 
He  was  seeking,  in  his  mind,  a  connection  between 
the  seismic  tremors  and  the  cessation  of  the  advance 
of  the  sea.  Inasmuch  as  the  downpour  continued, 
the  flood  ought  still  to  rise. 

He  rejected  as  soon  as  it  occurred  to  him  the  idea 
that  the  earth  could  be  drinking  up  the  waters  as 
fast  as  they  fell,  and  that  the  trembling  was  an  ac 
companiment  of  this  gigantic  deglutition. 

Sitting  in  a  room  with  the  President  and  other 
members  of  the  party  from  Washington,  he  remained 
buried  in  his  thoughts,  answering  inquiries  only  in 
monosyllables.  Presently  he  opened  his  eyes  very 
wide  and  a  long-drawn  "  A-ah !  "  came  from  his 
mouth.  Then  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  cried  out, 
but  only  as  if  uttering  a  thought  aloud  to  himself,  the 
strange  word: 

"  Batholite!  " 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE    FATHER   OF    HORROR  " 


A  T  the  time  when  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  his  companions  were  beginning  to 
discover  the  refugees  around  Pike's  Peak,  Cosmo 
Versal's  Ark  accompanied  by  the  Jules  Verne,  whose 
commander  had  decided  to  remain  in  touch  with  his 
friends,  was  crossing  the  submerged  hills  and  valleys 
of  Languedoc  under  a  sun  as  brilliant  as  that  which 
had  once  made  them  a  land  of  gold. 

De  Beauxchamps  remained  aboard  the  Ark  much 
of  the  time.  Cosmo  liked  to  have  him,  with  him 
self  and  Captain  Arms,  on  the  bridge,  because  there 
they  could  talk  freely  about  their  plans  and  prospects, 
and  the  Frenchman  was  a  most  entertaining  com 
panion. 

Meanwhile,  the  passengers  in  the  saloons  and  on 
the  promenade  decks  formed  little  knots  and  coteries 
for  conversation,  for  reading,  and  for  mutual  diver 
sion,  or  strolled  about  from  side  to  side,  watching 
the  endless  expanse  of  waters  for  the  occasional 
appearance  of  some  inhabitant  of  the  deep  that  had 
wandered  over  the  new  ocean's  bottom. 

These  animals  seemed  to  be  coming  to  the  sur- 
288 


"THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      289 

face  to  get  bearings.  Every  such  incident  reminded 
the  spectators  of  what  lay  beneath  the  waves,  and 
led  them  to  think  and  talk  of  the  awful  fate  that 
had  overwhelmed  their  fellow  men,  until  the  spirits 
of  the  most  careless  were  subdued  by  the  pervading 
melancholy. 

King  Richard,  strangely  enough,  had  taken  a  lik 
ing  for  Amos  Blank,  who  was  frequently  asked  to 
join  the  small  and  somewhat  exclusive  circle  of  com 
patriots  that  continually  surrounded  the  fallen  mon 
arch.  The  billionaire  and  the  king  often  leaned 
elbow  to  elbow  over  the  rail,  and  put  their  heads 
companionably  together  while  pointing  out  some 
object  on  the  sea.  Lord  Swansdown  felt  painfully 
cut  by  this,  but,  of  course,  he  could  offer  no  objec 
tion. 

Finally  Cosmo  invited  the  king  to  come  upon  the 
bridge,  from  which  passengers  were  generally  ex 
cluded,  and  the  king  insisted  that  Blank  should  go, 
too.  Cosmo  consented,  for  Blank  seemed  to  him 
to  have  become  quite  a  changed  man,  and  he  found 
him  sometimes  full  of  practical  suggestions. 

So  it  happened  that  when  Captain  Arms  announced 
that  the  Ark  was  passing  over  the  ancient  city  of 
Carcassonne,  Cosmo,  the  king,  De  Beauxchamps, 
Amos  Blank,  and  the  captain  were  all  together  on 
the  bridge.  When  Captain  Arms  mentioned  their 
location,  King  Richard  became  very  thoughtful. 
After  a  time  he  said  musingly: 


290  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Ah!  how  all  these  names,  Toulouse,  Carcassonne, 
Languedoc,  bring  back  to  me  the  memory  of  my 
namesake  of  olden  times,  Richard  I.  of  England. 
This,  over  which  we  are  floating,  was  the  land  of 
the  Troubadours,  and  Richard  was  the  very  Prince 
of  Troubadours.  With  all  his  faults  England  never 
had  a  king  like  him !  " 

"  Knowing  your  devotion  to  peace,  which  was  the 
reason  why  I  wished  you  to  be  of  the  original  com 
pany  in  the  Ark,  I  am  surprised  to  hear  you  say 
that,"  said  Cosmo. 

"  Ah !  "  returned  the  King,  "  But  Coeur  de  Lion 
was  a  true  Englishman,  even  in  his  love  of  fighting. 
What  would  he  say  if  he  knew  where  England  lies 
to-day?  What  would  he  say  if  he  knew  the  awful 
fate  that  has  come  upon  this  fair  and  pleasant  land, 
from  whose  poets  and  singers  he  learned  the  art  of 
minstrelsy?  " 

"  He  would  say,  '  Do  not  despair,'  '  replied 
Cosmo.  "  '  Show  the  courage  of  an  Englishman, 
and  fight  for  your  race  if  you  cannot  for  your 
country.'  ' 

"  But  may  not  England,  may  not  all  these  lands, 
emerge  again  from  the  floods?"  asked  the  king. 

"  Not  in  our  time,  not  in  our  children's  time," 
said  Cosmo  Versal,  thoughtfully  shaking  his  head. 
"  In  the  remote  future,  yes — but  I  cannot  tell  how 
remote.  Tibet  was  once  an  appanage  of  your  crown, 
before  China  taught  the  West  what  war  meant,  and 


"THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      291 

in  Tibet  you  may  help  to  found  a  new  empire,  but 
I  must  tell  you  that  it  will  not  resemble  the  empires 
of  the  past.  Democracy  will  be  its  corner  stone,  and 
science  its  law." 

"  Then  I  devote  myself  to  democracy  and  science," 
responded  King  Richard. 

"Good!  Admirable!"  exclaimed  Amos  Blank 
and  De  Beauxchamps  simultaneously,  while  Captain 
Arms  would  probably  have  patted  the  king  on  the 
back  had  not  his  attention,  together  with  that  of  the 
others,  been  distracted  by  a  huge  whale  blowing  al 
most  directly  in  the  course  of  the  Ark. 

"  Blessed  if  I  ever  expected  to  see  a  sight  like  that 
in  these  parts!  "  exclaimed  the  captain.  "  This  lift 
ing  the  ocean  up  into  the  sky  is  upsetting  the  order 
of  nature.  I'd  as  soon  expect  to  sight  a  cachalot  on 
top  of  the  Rocky  Mountains." 

"  They'll  be  there,  too,  before  long,"  said  Cosmo. 

"  I  wonder  what  he's  looking  for,"  continued 
Captain  Arms.  "  He  must  have  come  down  from 
the  north.  He  couldn't  have  got  in  through  the 
Pyrenees  or  the  Sierra  Nevadas.  He's  just  navigated 
right  over  the  whole  country  straight  down  from  the 
English  Channel." 

The  whale  sounded  at  the  approach  of  the  Ark, 
but  in  a  little  while  he  was  blowing  again  off  toward 
the  south,  and  then  the  passengers  caught  sight  of 
him,  and  there  was  great  excitement. 

He  seemed  to  be  of  enormous  size,  and  he  sent 


292  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

his  fountain  to  an  extraordinary  height  in  the  air. 
On  he  went,  appearing  and  disappearing,  steering 
direct  for  Africa,  until,  with  glasses,  they  could  see 
his  white  plume  blowing  on  the  very  edge  of  the 
horizon. 

Not  even  the  reflection  that  they  themselves  were 
sailing  over  Europe  impressed  some  of  the  passengers 
with  so  vivid  a  sense  of  their  situation  as  the  sight 
of  this  monstrous  inhabitant  of  the  ocean  taking  a 
view  of  his  new  domain. 

At  night  Cosmo  continued  the  concerts  and  the 
presentation  of  the  Shakespearian  dramas,  and  for 
an  hour  each  afternoon  he  had  a  "  conference  "  in 
the  saloon,  at  which  Theriade  and  Sir  Athelstone  were 
almost  the  sole  performers. 

Their  disputes,  and  Cosmo's  efforts  to  keep  the 
peace,  amused  for  a  while,  but  at  length  the  audiences 
diminished  until  Cosmo,  with  his  constant  compan 
ions,  the  Frenchman,  the  king,  Amos  Blank,  the 
three  professors  from  Washington,  and  a  few  other 
savants  were  the  only  listeners. 

But  the  music  and  the  plays  always  drew  im 
mensely. 

Joseph  Smith  was  kept  busy  most  of  the  time  in 
Cosmo's  cabin,  copying  plans  for  the  regeneration 
of  mankind. 

When  they  knew  that  they  had  finally  left  the 
borders  of  France  and  were  sailing  above  the  Medi 
terranean  Sea,  it  became  necessary  to  lay  their  course 


"  THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR  "   293 

with  considerable  care.  Cosmo  decided  that  the  only 
safe  plan  would  be  to  run  south  of  Sardinia,  and  then 
keep  along  between  Sicily  and  Tunis,  and  so  on  to 
ward  lower  Egypt. 

There  he  intended  to  seek  a  way  over  the  moun 
tains  north  of  the  Sinai  peninsula  into  the  Syrian 
desert,  from  which  he  could  reach  the  ancient  valley 
of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Persian  Gulf.  He  would 
then  pass  down  the  Arabian  Sea,  swing  round  India 
and  Ceylon,  and,  by  way  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and 
the  plains  of  the  Ganges  and  Brahmaputra,  approach 
the  Himalayas. 

Captain  Arms  was  rather  inclined  to  follow  the 
Gulf  of  Suez  and  the  depression  of  the  Red  Sea, 
but  Cosmo  was  afraid  that  they  would  have  difficulty 
in  getting  the  Ark  safely  through  between  the  Mt. 
Sinai  peaks  and  the  Jebel  Gharib  range. 

'  Well,  you're  the  commodore,"  said  the  captain 
at  the  end  of  the  discussion,  "  but  hang  me  if  I'd 
not  rather  follow  a  sea,  where  I  know  the  courses, 
than  go  navigating  over  mountains  and  deserts  in  the 
land  of  Shinar.  We'll  land  on  top  of  Jerusalem 
yet,  you'll  see!  " 

Feeling  sure  of  plenty  of  water  under  keel,  they 
now  made  better  speed  and  De  Beauxchamps  retired 
into  the  Jules  Verne,  and  detached  it  from  the  Ark, 
finding  that  he  could  distance  the  latter  easily  with 
the  submersible  running  just  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  water. 


294  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Come  up  to  blow,  and  take  a  look  around  from 
the  bridge,  once  in  a  while,"  the  captain  called  out 
to  him  as  he  disappeared  and  the  cover  closed  over 
him.  The  Jules  Verne  immediately  sank  out  of 
sight. 

They  passed  round  Sardinia,  and  between  the  old 
African  coast  and  Sicily,  and  were  approaching  the 
Malta  Channel  when  their  attention  was  drawn  to 
a  vast  smoke  far  off  toward  the  north. 

"  It's  Etna  in  eruption,"  said  Cosmo  to  the 
captain. 

"  A  magnificent  sight !  "  exclaimed  King  Richard, 
who  happened  to  be  on  the  bridge. 

"  Yes,  and  I'd  like  to  see  it  nearer,"  remarked 
Cosmo,  as  a  wonderful  column  of  smoke,  as  black 
as  ink,  seemed  to  shoot  up  to  the  very  zenith. 

"  You'd  better  keep  away,"  Captain  Arms  said 
warningly.  "  There's  no  good  comes  of  fooling 
round  volcanoes  in  a  ship." 

"  Oh,  it's  safe  enough,"  returned  Cosmo.  "  We 
can  run  right  over  the  southeastern  corner  of  Sicily 
and  get  as  near  as  we  like.  There  is  nothing  higher 
than  about  three  thousand  feet  in  that  part  of  the 
island,  so  we'll  have  a  thousand  feet  to  spare." 

"  But  maybe  the  water  has  lowered." 

"  Not  more  than  a  foot  or  two,"  said  Cosmo. 
"Go  ahead." 

The  captain  plainly  didn't  fancy  the  adventure, 
but  he  obeyed  orders,  and  the  Ark's  nose  was  turned 


"THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      295 

northward,  to  the  delight  of  many  of  the  passengers 
who  had  become  greatly  interested  when  they  learned 
that  the  tremendous  smoke  that  they  saw  came  from 
Mount  Etna. 

Some  of  them  were  nervous,  but  the  more  adven 
turous  spirits  heartily  applauded  Cosmo  VersaTs  de 
sign  to  give  them  a  closer  view  of  so  extraordinary 
a  spectacle.  Even  from  their  present  distance  the 
sight  was  one  that  might  have  filled  them  with  terror 
if  they  had  not  already  been  through  adventures 
which  had  hardened  their  nerves.  The  smoke  was 
truly  terrific  in  appearance. 

It  did  not  spread  low  over  the  sea,  but  rose  in  an 
almost  vertical  column,  widening  out  at  a  height  of 
several  miles,  until  it  seemed  to  canopy  the  whole 
sky  toward  the  north. 

It  could  be  seen  spinning  in  immense  rolling 
masses,  the  outer  parts  of  which  were  turned  by  the 
sunshine  to  a  dingy  brown  color,  while  the  main  stem 
of  the  column,  rising  directly  from  the  great  crater, 
was  of  pitchy  blackness. 

An  awful  roaring  was  audible,  sending  a  shiver 
through  the  Ark.  At  the  bottom  of  the  mass  of 
smoke,  through  which  gleams  of  fire  were  seen  to 
shoot  as  they  drew  nearer,  appeared  the  huge  conical 
form  of  the  mountain,  whose  dark  bulk  still  rose 
nearly  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  that  covered 
the  great,  beautiful,  and  historic  island  beneath  it. 

They  had  got  within  about  twenty  miles  of  the 


296  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

base  of  the  mountain,  when  a  shout  was  heard  by 
those  on  the  bridge,  and  Cosmo  and  the  captain,  look 
ing  for  its  source,  saw  the  Jules  Feme,  risen  to  the 
surface  a  little  to  starboard,  and  De  Beauxchamps 
excitedly  signaling  to  them.  They  just  made  out 
the  words,  "  Sheer  off !  "  when  the  Ark,  with  a  groan 
ing  sound,  took  ground,  and  they  were  almost  pre 
cipitated  over  the  rail  of  the  bridge. 

"Aground  again,  by —  — !  "  exclaimed  Captain 
Arms,  instantly  signaling  all  astern.  "  I  told  you  not 
to  go  fooling  round  a  volcano." 

"  This  beats  me!  "  cried  Cosmo  Versal.  "  I  won 
der  if  the  island  has  begun  to  rise." 

"  More  likely  the  sea  has  begun  to  fall,"  growled 
Captain  Arms. 

"  Do  you  know  where  we  are?  "  asked  Cosmo. 

"  We  can't  be  anywhere  but  on  the  top  of  Monte 
Lauro,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  But  that's  only  three  thousand  feet  high." 

"  It's  exactly  three  thousand  two  hundred  and 
thirty  feet,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  haven't  navigated 
the  old  Mediterranean  a  hundred  times  for  nothing." 

"  But  even  then  we  should  have  near  seven  hun 
dred  and  fifty  feet  to  spare,  allowing  for  the  draft 
of  the  Ark,  and  a  slight  subsidence  of  the  water." 

"  Well,  you  haven't  allowed  enough,  that's  plain," 
said  the  captain. 

"  But  it's  impossible  that  the  flood  can  have  sub 
sided  more  than  seven  hundred  feet  already." 


"THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      297 

"  I  don't  care  how  impossible  it  is — here  we  are! 
We're  stuck  on  a  mountain-top,  and  if  we  don't  leave 
our  bones  on  it  I'm  a  porpoise." 

By  this  time  the  Jules  Verne  was  alongside,  and 
De  Beauxchamps  shouted  up : 

"  I  was  running  twenty  feet  under  water,  keeping 
along  with  the  Ark,  when  my  light  suddenly  revealed 
the  mountain  ahead.  I  hurried  up  and  tried  to  warn 
you,  but  it  was  too  late." 

"  Can't  you  go  down  and  see  where  we're  fast?  " 
asked  Cosmo. 

"  Certainly;  that's  just  what  I  was  about  to  pro 
pose,"  replied  the  Frenchman,  and  immediately  the 
submersible  disappeared. 

After  a  long  time,  during  which  Cosmo  succeeded 
in  allaying  the  fears  of  his  passengers,  the  submer 
sible  reappeared,  and  De  Beauxchamps  made  his  re 
port.  He  said  that  the  Ark  was  fast  near  the  bow 
on  a  bed  of  shelly  limestone. 

He  thought  that  by  using  the  utmost  force  of  the 
Jules  Verne,  whose  engines  were  very  powerful,  in 
pushing  the  Ark,  combined  with  the  backing  of  her 
own  engines,  she  might  be  got  off. 

"  Hurry  up,  then,  and  get  to  work,"  cried  Captain 
Arms.  '  This  flood  is  on  the  ebb,  and  a  few  hours 
more  will  find  us  stuck  here  like  a  ray  with  his  saw 
in  a  whale's  back." 

De  Beauxchamps's  plan  was  immediately  adopted. 
The  Jules  Verne  descended,  and  pushed  with  all  her 


298  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

force,  while  the  engines  of  the  Ark  were  reversed, 
and  within  fifteen  minutes  they  were  once  more  afloat. 

Without  waiting  for  a  suggestion  from  Cosmo 
Versal,  the  Frenchman  carefully  inspected  with  his 
searchlight  the  bottom  of  the  Ark  where  she  had 
struck,  and  when  he  came  to  the  surface  he  was  able 
to  report  that  no  serious  damage  had  resulted. 

"  There's  no  hole,"  he  said,  "  only  a  slight  dent 
ing  of  one  of  the  plates,  which  will  not  amount  to 
anything." 

Cosmo,  however,  was  not  content  until  he  had 
made  a  careful  inspection  by  opening  some  of  the 
manholes  in  the  inner  skin  of  the  vessel.  He  found 
no  cause  for  anxiety,  and  in  an  hour  the  Ark  resumed 
its  voyage  eastward,  passing  over  the  site  of  ancient 
Syracuse. 

By  this  time  a  change  of  the  wind  had  sent  the 
smoke  from  Etna  in  their  direction,  and  now  it  lay 
thick  upon  the  water,  and  rendered  it,  for  a  while, 
impossible  to  see  twenty  fathoms  from  the  bridge. 

"  It's  old  Etna's  dying  salute,"  said  Cosmo.  "  He 
won't  have  his  head  above  water  much  longer." 

"  But  the  flood  is  going  down,"  exclaimed  Cap 
tain  Arms. 

"  Yes,  and  that  puzzles  me.  There  must  have 
been  an  enormous  absorption  of  water  into  the  in 
terior,  far  greater  than  I  ever  imagined  possible. 
But  wait  until  the  nucleus  of  the  nebula  strikes  us! 
In  the  meantime,  this  lowering  of  the  water  renders 


"  THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR  "   299 

it  necessary  for  us  to  make  haste,  or  we  may  not  get 
over  the  mountains  round  Suez  before  the  downpour 
recommences." 

As  soon  as  they  escaped  from  the  smoke  of  Etna 
they  ran  full  speed  ahead  again,  and,  keeping  well 
south  of  Crete,  at  length,  one  morning  they  found 
themselves  in  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  Alex 
andria. 

The  weather  was  still  superb,  and  Cosmo  was  very 
desirous  of  getting  a  line  on  the  present  height  of 
the  water.  He  thought  that  he  could  make  a  fair 
estimate  of  this  from  the  known  elevation  of  the 
mountains  about  Sinai.  Accordingly  they  steered  in 
that  direction,  and  on  the  way  passed  directly  over 
the  site  of  Cairo. 

Then  the  thought  of  the  pyramids  came  to  them 
all,  and  De  Beauxchamps,  who  had  come  aboard  the 
Ark,  and  who  was  always  moved  by  sentimental  con 
siderations,  proposed  that  they  should  spend  a  few 
hours  here,  while  he  descended  to  inspect  the  con 
dition  in  which  the  flood  had  left  those  mighty  monu 
ments. 

Cosmo  not  only  consented  to  this,  but  he  even 
offered  to  be  a  member  of  the  party.  The  French 
man  was  only  too  glad  to  have  his  company.  Cosmo 
Versal  descended  into  the  submersible  after  instruct 
ing  Captain  Arms  to  hover  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  passengers  and  crew  of  the  Ark,  with  expres 
sions  of  anxiety  that  would  have  pleased  their  subject 


300  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

if  he  had  heard  them,  watched  the  Jules  Verne  dis 
appear  into  the  depths  beneath. 

The  submersible  was  gone  so  long  that  the  anxiety 
of  those  aboard  the  Ark  deepened  into  alarm,  and 
finally  became  almost  panic.  They  had  never  before 
known  how  much  they  depended  upon  Cosmo  Versal. 

He  was  their  only  reliance,  their  only  hope.  He 
alone  had  known  how  to  keep  up  their  spirits,  and 
when  he  had  assured  them,  as  he  so  often  did,  that 
the  flooding  would  surely  recommence,  they  had 
hardly  been  terrified  because  of  their  unexpressed 
confidence  that,  let  come  what  would,  his  great  brain 
would  find  a  way  out  for  them. 

Now  he  was  gone,  down  into  the  depths  of  this 
awful  sea,  where  their  imaginations  pictured  a  thou 
sand  unheard-of  perils,  and  perhaps  they  would 
never  see  him  again !  Without  him  they  knew  them 
selves  to  be  helpless.  Even  Captain  Arms  almost 
lost  his  nerve. 

The  strong  good  sense  of  Amos  Blank  alone  saved 
them  from  the  utter  despair  that  began  to  seize  upon 
them  as  hour  after  hour  passed  without  the  reap 
pearance  of  the  Jules  Verne. 

His  experience  had  taught  him  how  to  keep  a 
level  head  in  an  emergency,  and  how  to  control 
panics.  With  King  Richard  always  at  his  side,  he 
went  about  among  the  passengers  and  fairly  laughed 
them  out  of  their  fears. 


"THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      301 

Without  discussing  the  matter  at  all,  he  convinced 
them,  by  the  simple  force  of  his  own  apparent  con 
fidence,  that  they  were  worrying  themselves  about 
nothing. 

He  was,  in  fact,  as  much  alarmed  as  any  of  the 
others,  but  he  never  showed  it.  He  started  a  rumor, 
after  six  hours  had  elapsed,  that  Cosmo  himself  had 
said  that  they  would  probably  require  ten  or  twelve 
hours  for  their  exploration. 

Cosmo  had  said  nothing  of  the  kind,  but  Blank's 
prevarication  had  its  intended  effect,  and  fortunately, 
before  the  lapse  of  another  six  hours,  there  was  news 
from  under  the  sea. 

And  what  was  happening  in  the  mysterious  depths 
below  the  Ark?  What  had  so  long  detained  the  sub 
mersible? 

The  point  where  the  descent  was  made  had  been 
so  well  chosen  that  the  Jules  Feme  almost  struck  the 
apex  of  the  Great  Pyramid  as  it  approached  the  bot 
tom.  The  water  was  somewhat  muddy  from  the 
sands  of  the  desert,  and  the  searchlight  streamed 
through  a  yellowish  medium,  recalling  the  u  golden 
atmosphere  "  for  which  Egypt  had  been  celebrated. 
But,  nevertheless,  the  light  was  so  powerful  that  they 
could  see  distinctly  at  a  distance  of  several  rods. 

The  pyramid  appeared  to  have  been  but  little  in 
jured,  although  the  tremendous  tidal  wave  that  had 
swept  up  the  Nile  during  the  invasion  of  the  sea 


302  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

before  the  downpour  began  had  scooped  out  the  sand 
down  to  the  bed-rock  on  all  sides. 

Finding  nothing  of  particular  interest  in  a  circuit 
of  the  pyramid,  they  turned  in  the  direction  of  the 
Great  Sphinx. 

This,  too,  had  been  excavated  to  its  base,  and  it 
now  stood  up  to  its  full  height,  and  a  terrible  ex 
pression  seemed  to  have  come  into  its  enigmatic 
features. 

Cosmo  wished  to  get  a  close  look  at  it,  and  they 
ran  the  submersible  into  actual  contact  with  the  fore 
part  of  the  gigantic  statue,  just  under  the  mighty 
chin. 

While  they  paused  there,  gazing  out  of  the  front 
window  of  the  vessel,  a  bursting  sound  was  heard, 
followed  by  a  loud  crash,  and  the  Jules  Verne  was 
shaken  from  stem  to  stern.  Every  man  of  them 
threw  himself  against  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  for  the 
sound  came  from  overhead,  and  they  had  an  in 
stinctive  notion  that  the  roof  was  being  crushed  down 
upon  them. 

A  second  resounding  crash  was  heard,  shaking 
them  like  an  earthquake,  and  the  little  vessel  rolled 
partly  over  upon  its  side. 

"We  are  lost!"  cried  De  Beauxchamps.  "The 
Sphinx  is  falling  upon  us!  We  shall  be  buried  alive 
here!" 

A  third  crash  came  over  their  heads,  and  the  sub 
mersible  seemed  to  sink  beneath  them  as  if  seeking 


'  THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR  "   303 

to  avoid  the  fearful  blows  that  were  rained  upon  its 
roof. 

Still,  the  stout  curved  ceiling,  strongly  braced 
within,  did  not  yield,  although  they  saw,  with  af 
fright,  that  it  was  bulged  inward,  and  some  of  the 
braces  were  torn  from  their  places.  But  no  water 
came  in. 

Stunned  by  the  suddenness  of  the  accident,  for  a 
few  moments  they  did  nothing  but  cling  to  such  sup 
ports  as  were  within  their  reach,  expecting  that  an 
other  blow  would  either  force  the  vessel  completely 
over  or  break  the  roof  in. 

But  complete  silence  now  reigned,  and  the  mis 
siles  from  above  ceased  to  strike  the  submersible. 
The  searchlight  continued  to  beam  out  of  the  fore 
end  of  the  vessel,  and  following  its  broad  ray  with 
their  eyes,  they  uttered  one  cry  of  mingled  amaze 
ment  and  fear,  and  then  stared  without  a  word  at 
such  a  spectacle  as  the  wildest  imagination  could  not 
have  pictured. 

The  front  of  the  Sphinx  had  disappeared,  and  the 
light,  penetrating  beyond  the  place  where  it  had 
stood,  streamed  upon  the  face  and  breast  of  an 
enormous  black  figure,  seated  on  a  kind  of  throne, 
and  staring  into  their  faces  with  flaming  eyes  which 
at  once  fascinated  and  terrified  them. 

To  their  startled  imaginations  the  eyes  seemed 
to  roll  in  their  sockets,  and  flashes  of  fire  to  dart 
from  them.  Their  expression  was  menacing  and 


3o4  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

terrifying  beyond  belief.  At  the  same  time  the  aspect 
of  the  face  was  so  majestic  that  they  cowered  before 
it. 

The  cheekbones  were  high,  massive,  and  polished 
until  they  shone  in  the  light;  the  nose  and  chin  were 
powerful  in  their  contours;  and  the  brow  wore  an 
intimidating  frown.  It  seemed  to  the  awed  on 
lookers  as  if  they  had  sacrilegiously  burst  into  the 
sanctuary  of  an  offended  god. 

But,  after  a  minute  or  two  of  stupefaction,  they 
thought  again  of  the  desperateness  of  their  situation, 
and  turned  from  staring  at  the  strange  idol  to  con 
sider  what  they  should  do. 

The  fact  that  no  water  was  finding  its  way  into 
the  submersible  somewhat  reassured  them,  but  the 
question  now  arose  whether  it  could  be  withdrawn 
from  its  position. 

They  had  no  doubt  that  the  front  of  the  Sphinx, 
saturated  by  the  water  after  the  thousands  of  years 
that  it  had  stood  there,  exposed  to  the  desiccating 
influences  of  the  sun  and  the  desert  sands,  had  sud 
denly  disintegrated,  and  fallen  upon  them,  pinning 
their  vessel  fast  under  the  fragments  of  the  huge  head. 

De  Beauxchamps  tried  the  engines  and  found  that 
they  had  no  effect  in  moving  the  Jules  Feme.  He 
tried  again  and  again  by  reversing  to  disengage  the 
vessel,  but  it  would  not  stir.  Then  they  debated  the 
only  other  means  of  escape. 

"  Although    I    have   levium    life-suits,"   said   the 


"IT    IS    A    I'RUl'HKCY    UK    THE    SECOND    UhLUGE  " 


"THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      30$ 

Frenchman,  "  and  although  the  top  of  the  Jules 
Verne  can  probably  be  opened,  for  the  door  seems 
not  to  have  been  touched,  yet  the  instant  it  is  removed 
the  water  will  rush  in,  and  it  will  be  impossible  to 
pump  out  the  vessel." 

"  Are  your  life-suits  so  arranged  that  they  will 
permit  of  moving  the  limbs?  "  demanded  Cosmo. 

"  Certainly  they  are." 

"  And  can  they  be  weighted  so  as  to  remain  at 
the  bottom?  " 

'  They  are  arranged  for  that,"  responded  De 
Beauxchamps. 

"  And  can  the  weights  be  detached  by  the  inmates 
without  permitting  the  entrance  of  water?" 

"  It  can  be  done,  although  a  very  little  water  might 
enter  during  the  operation." 

'  Then,"  said  Cosmo,  "  let  us  put  on  the  suits, 
open  the  door,  take  out  the  ballast  so  that,  if  re 
leased,  the  submersible  will  rise  to  the  surface 
through  its  own  buoyancy,  and  then  see  if  we  cannot 
loosen  the  vessel  from  outside." 

It  was  a  suggestion  whose  boldness  made  even  the 
owner  and  constructor  of  the  Jules  Verne  stare  for 
a  moment,  but  evidently  it  was  the  only  possible  way 
in  which  the  vessel  might  be  saved;  and  knowing 
that,  in  case  of  failure,  they  could  themselves  float 
to  the  surface  after  removing  the  weights  from  the 
bottom  of  the  suits,  they  unanimously  decided  to  try 
Cosmo  Versal's  plan. 


306  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

It  was  terribly  hard  work  getting  the  ballast  out 
of  the  submersible,  working  as  they  had  to  do  under 
water,  which  rushed  in  as  soon  as  the  door  was 
opened,  and  in  their  awkward  suits,  which  were  pro 
vided  with  apparatus  for  renewing  the  supply  of 
oxygen ;  but  at  last  they  succeeded. 

Then  they  clambered  outside,  and  labored  des 
perately  to  release  the  vessel  from  the  huge  frag 
ments  of  stone  that  pinned  it  down.  Finally,  ex 
hausted  by  their  efforts,  and  unable  to  make  any  im 
pression,  they  gave  up. 

De  Beauxchamps  approached  Cosmo  and  mo 
tioned  to  him  that  it  was  time  to  ascend  to  the  sur 
face  and  leave  the  Jules  Feme  to  her  fate.  But 
Cosmo  signaled  back  that  he  wished  first  to  examine 
more  closely  the  strange  statue  that  was  gazing 
upon  them  in  the  still  unextinguished  beam  of  the 
searchlight  with  what  they  might  now  have  regarded 
as  a  look  of  mockery. 

The  others,  accordingly,  waited  while  Cosmo  Ver- 
sal,  greatly  impeded  by  his  extraordinary  garment, 
clambered  up  to  the  front  of  the  figure.  There 
he  saw  something  which  redoubled  his  amaze 
ment. 

On  the  broad  breast  he  saw  a  representation  of 
a  world  overwhelmed  with  a  deluge  and  encircling 
it  was  what  he  instantly  concluded  to  be  the  picture 
of  a  nebula.  Underneath,  in  ancient  Egyptian 
hieroglyphics,  with  which  Cosmo  was  familiar,  was 


"  THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR  "   307 

an  inscription  in  letters  of  gold,  which  could  only 
be  translated  thus  : 

I  Come  Again — 
At  the  End  of  Time. 

"  Great  Heavens !  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  It  is  a 
prophecy  of  the  Second  Deluge!  " 

He  continued  to  gaze,  amazed,  at  the  figure  and 
the  inscription,  until  De  Beauxchamps  clambered  to 
his  side  and  indicated  to  him  that  it  was  necessary 
that  they  should  ascend  without  further  delay,  show 
ing  him  by  signs  that  the  air-renewing  apparatus 
would  give  out. 

With  a  last  lingering  look  at  the  figure,  Cosmo 
imitated  the  others  by  detaching  the  weights  from 
below  his  feet,  and  a  minute  later  they  were  all  shoot 
ing  rapidly  toward  the  surface  of  the  sea,  De  Beaux- 
champs,  as  he  afterwards  declared,  uttering  a  prayer 
for  the  repose  of  the  Jules  Feme. 

The  imaginary  time  which  Amos  Blank  had  fixed 
as  the  limit  set  by  Cosmo  for  the  return  from  the 
depths  was  nearly  gone,  and  he  was  beginning  to 
cast  about  for  some  other  invention  to  quiet  the  rising 
fears  of  the  passengers,  when  a  form  became  visible 
which  made  the  eyes  of  Captain  Arms,  the  first  to 
catch  sight  of  it,  start  from  their  sockets.  He  rubbed 
them,  and  looked  again — but  there  it  was ! 

A  huge  head,  human   in  outline,   with  bulging, 


3o8  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

glassy  eyes,  popped  suddenly  out  of  the  depths,  fol 
lowed  by  the  upper  part  of  a  gigantic  form  which 
was  no  less  suggestive  of  a  monstrous  man,  and  which 
immediately  began  to  wave  its  arms! 

Before  the  captain  could  collect  his  senses  another 
shot  to  the  surface,  and  then  another  and  another, 
until  there  were  seven  of  them  floating  and  awk 
wardly  gesticulating  within  a  radius  of  a  hundred 
fathoms  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  vessel. 

The  whole  series  of  apparitions  did  not  occupy 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  minute  in  making  their 
appearance. 

By  the  time  the  last  had  sprung  into  sight 
Captain  Arms  had  recovered  his  wits,  and  he  shouted 
an  order  to  lower  a  boat,  at  the  same  time  running 
down  from  the  bridge  to  superintend  the  operation. 
Many  of  the  crew  and  passengers  had  in  the  mean 
time  seen  the  strange  objects,  and  they  were  thrown 
into  a  state  of  uncontrollable  excitement. 

u  It's  them !  "  shouted  the  captain  over  his  shoul 
der,  in  response  to  a  hundred  inquiries  all  put  at  once, 
and  forgetting  his  grammar  in  the  excitement. 
'  They've  come  up  in  diving-suits." 

Amos  Blank  comprehended  the  situation  at  once; 
and  while  the  captain  was  getting  out  the  boat,  he 
explained  matters  to  the  crowd. 

'*  The  submersible  must  be  lost,"  he  said  quietly, 
"  but  the  men  have  escaped,  so  there  is  no  great 
harm  done.  It  does  great  credit  to  that  Frenchman 


"  THE  FATHER  OF  HORROR  "      309 

that  he  should  have  been  prepared  for  such  an 
emergency.  Those  are  levium  suits,  and  I've  no 
doubt  that  he  has  got  hydrogen  somewhere  inside 
to  increase  their  buoyancy." 

Within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  all  the  seven  had 
been  picked  up  by  the  boat,  and  it  returned  to  the 
Ark.  The  strange  forms  were  lifted  aboard  with 
tackle  to  save  time;  and  as  the  first  one  reached  the 
deck,  it  staggered  about  on  its  big  limbs  for  a  mo 
ment. 

Then  the  metallic  head  opened,  and  the  features 
of  De  Beauxchamps  were  revealed. 

Before  anybody  could  assist  him  he  had  freed  him 
self  from  the  suit,  and  immediately  he  began  to 
aid  the  others.  In  ten  minutes  they  all  stood  safe 
and  sound  before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the  specta 
tors.  Cosmo  had  suffered  from  the  confinement,  and 
he  sank  upon  a  seat,  but  De  Beauxchamps  seemed  to 
be  the  most  affected.  With  downcast  look  he  said, 
sadly  shaking  his  head: 

'  The  poor  Jules  Feme!  I  shall  never  see  her 
again." 

"What  has  happened?"  demanded  Captain 
Arms. 

"  It  was  the  Father  of  Horror,"  muttered  Cosmo 
Versal. 

"  The  Father  of  Horror— what's  that?  " 

"  Why,  the  Great  Sphinx,"  returned  Cosmo,  grad 
ually  recovering  his  breath.  "  Didn't  you  know 


3io  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

that  that  was  what  the  Arabs  always  called  the 
Sphinx? 

"  It  was  that  which  fell  upon  the  submersible — 
split  right  open  and  dropped  its  great  chin  upon  us 
as  we  were  sailing  round  it,  and  pinned  us  fast.  But 
the  sight  that  we  saw  when  the  Sphinx  fell  apart! 
Tell  them,  De  Beauxchamps." 

The  Frenchman  took  up  the  narrative,  while,  with 
breathless  attention,  passengers  and  crew  crowded 
about  to  listen  to  his  tale. 

'  When  we  got  to  the  bottom,"  he  said,  "  we  first 
inspected  the  Great  Pyramid,  going  all  round  it  with 
our  searchlight.  It  was  in  good  condition,  although 
the  tide  that  had  come  up  the  Nile  with  the  invasion 
of  the  sea  had  washed  away  the  sands  to  a  great 
depth  all  about.  When  we  had  completed  the  circuit 
of  the  pyramid,  we  saw  the  Sphinx,  which  had  been 
excavated  by  the  water  so  that  it  stood  up  to  its  full 
height. 

"  We  ran  close  around  it,  and  when  we  were  under 
the  chin  the  whole  thing,  saturated  by  the  water, 
which  no  doubt  caused  an  expansion  within — you 
know  how  many  thousand  years  the  gigantic  idol 
had  been  sun-dried — dropped  apart. 

"  The  submersible  was  caught  by  the  falling  mass, 
and  partly  crushed.  We  labored  for  hours  and  hours 
to  release  the  vessel,  but  there  was  little  that  we  could 
do.  It  almost  broke  my  heart  to  think  of  leaving 
the  Jules  Feme  there,  but  it  had  to  be  done. 


"JHE  FATHER  OF  HORROR"      311 

"  At  last  we  put  on  the  levium  floating-suits, 
opened  the  cover  at  the  top,  and  came  to  the  surface. 
The  last  thing  I  saw  was  the  searchlight,  still  burn 
ing,  and  illuminating  the  most  marvelous  spectacle 
that  human  eyes  ever  gazed  upon." 

"  Oh,  what  was  it?  What  was  it  ?"  demanded  a 
score  of  voices  in  chorus. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  describe  it.  It  was  the  secret 
of  old  Egypt  revealed  at  last — at  the  end  of  the 
world!" 

"  But  what  was  it  like?" 

"  Like  a  glimpse  into  the  remotest  corridors  of 
time,"  interposed  Cosmo  Versal,  with  a  curious  look 
in  his  eyes. 

"  Some  of  you  may  have  heard  that  long  ago  holes 
were  driven  through  the  Sphinx  in  the  hope  of  dis 
covering  something  hidden  inside,  but  they  missed 
the  secret.  The  old  god  kept  it  well  until  his  form 
fell  apart.  We  were  pinned  so  close  to  it  that  we 
could  not  help  seeing  it,  even  in  the  excitement  of 
our  situation. 

"  It  had  always  been  supposed  that  the  Sphinx  was 
the  symbol  of  something — it  was,  and  more  than  a 
symbol !  The  explorers  away  back  in  the  nineteenth 
century  who  thought  that  they  had  found  something 
mysterious  in  the  Great  Pyramid  went  wide  of  the 
mark  when  they  neglected  the  Sphinx." 

"  But  what  did  you  see?  " 

"  We  saw  the  prophecy  of  the  Second  Deluge," 


3i2  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

said  Cosmo,  rising  to  his  feet,  his  piercing  eyes 
aflame.  "  In  the  heart  of  the  huge  mass,  approach 
able,  no  doubt,  by  some  concealed  passage  in  the  rock 
beneath,  known  only  to  the  priests,  stood  a  gigantic 
idol,  carved  out  of  black  marble. 

"  It  had  enormous  eyes  of  some  gem  that  blazed 
in  the  electric  beam  from  the  searchlight,  with  huge 
golden  ears  and  beard,  and  on  its  breast  was  a  rep 
resentation  of  a  drowning  world,  with  a  great  nebula 
sweeping  over  it." 

"  It  might  have  been  a  history  instead  of  a 
prophecy,"  suggested  one  of  the  listening  savants. 
"  Perhaps  it  only  told  what  had  once  happened." 

"  No,"  replied  Cosmo,  shaking  his  big  head.  "  It 
was  a  prophecy.  Under  it,  in  ancient  Egyptian 
hieroglyphics,  which  I  recognized,  was  an  inscription 
which  could  only  be  translated  by  the  words,  '  I  come 
again — at  the  end  of  time ! ' 

There  was  a  quality  in  Cosmo  Versal's  voice  which 
made  the  hearers  shudder  with  horror. 

"Yes,"  he  added.  "It  comes  again!  The 
prophecy  was  hidden,  but  science  had  its  means  of 
revelation,  too,  if  the  world  would  but  have  listened 
to  its  voice.  Even  without  the  prophecy  I  have  saved 
the  flower  of  mankind." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   TERRIBLE   NUCLEUS    ARRIVES 

\T7HEN  the  company  in  the  Ark  had  recovered 
from  the  astonishment  produced  by  the  nar 
ratives  of  De  Beauxchamps  and  Cosmo  Versal,  and 
particularly  the  vivid  description  given  by  the  latter 
of  the  strange  idol  concealed  in  the  breast  of  the 
"  Father  of  Horror,"  and  the  inferences  which  he 
drew  concerning  its  prophetic  character,  the  question 
again  arose  as  to  their  future  course. 

Captain  Arms  was  still  for  undertaking  to  follow 
the  trough  of  the  Red  Sea,  but  Cosmo  declared  that 
this  course  would  be  doubly  dangerous  now  that  the 
water  had  lowered  and  that  they  no  longer  had  the 
Jules  Verne  to  act  as  a  submarine  scout,  warning  them 
of  hidden  perils. 

They  must  now  go  by  their  own  soundings,  and 
this  would  be  especially  dangerous  in  the  close  neigh 
borhood  of  half-submerged  mountains,  whose  but 
tresses  and  foothills  might  rise  suddenly  out  of  the 
depths  with  slopes  so  steep  that  the  lead  would  afford 
no  certain  guidance. 

It  was  first  necessary  to  learn  if  possible  the  actual 
height  of  the  water,  and  whether  it  was  still  subsid- 

313 


THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ing.  It  was  partly  for  this  purpose  that  they  had 
passed  over  Egypt  instead  of  keeping  directly  on 
toward  the  coast  of  lower  Palestine. 

But  now  Cosmo  abandoned  his  purpose  of  taking 
his  measurement  by  the  aid  of  Mount  Sinai  or  some 
of  its  neighboring  peaks,  on  account  of  the  dangerous 
character  of  that  rugged  region.  If  they  had  been 
furnished  with  deep-sea  sounding  apparatus  they 
might  have  made  a  direct  measurement  of  the  depth 
in  Egypt,  but  that  was  one  of  the  few  things  which 
Cosmo  Versal  had  overlooked  in  furnishing  the  Ark, 
and  such  an  operation  could  not  be  undertaken. 

He  discovered  that  there  was  a  mountain  north  of 
the  Gulf  of  Akaba  having  an  elevation  of  3,450  feet, 
and  since  this  was  220  feet  higher  than  Monte  Lauro, 
in  Sicily,  on  which  the  Ark  had  grounded,  he  counted 
on  it  as  a  gage  which  would  serve  his  purpose. 

So  they  passed  almost  directly  over  Suez,  and 
about  1 20  miles  farther  east  they  found  the  moun 
tain  they  sought,  rising  to  the  west  of  the  Wadi  el 
Arabia,  a  continuation  of  the  depression  at  whose 
deepest  point  lay  the  famous  "  Dead  Sea,"  so  often 
spoken  of  in  the  books  of  former  times. 

Here  Cosmo  was  able  to  make  a  very  accurate 
estimate  from  the  height  of  the  peak  above  the  water, 
and  he  was  gratified  to  find  that  the  recession  had  not 
continued.  The  level  of  the  water  appeared  to  be 
exactly  the  same  as  when  they  made  their  unfortunate 
excursion  in  the  direction  of  smoking  Etna. 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   315 

"  It's  all  right,"  he  said  to  Captain  Arms.  "  We 
can  get  over  into  the  Syrian  desert  without  much  dan 
ger,  although  we  must  go  slowly  and  carefully  until 
we  are  well  past  these  ranges  that  come  down  from 
the  direction  of  the  Dead  Sea.  After  that  I  do  not 
see  that  there  is  anything  in  our  way  until  we  reach 
the  ancient  plains  of  Babylon." 

King  Richard,  who  was  full  of  the  history  of  the 
Crusades,  as  well  as  of  Bible  narratives,  wished  to 
have  the  Ark  turn  northward,  so  that  they  might  sail 
over  Jerusalem,  and  up  the  Valley  of  the  Jordan 
within  sight  of  Mount  Hermon  and  the  Lebanon 
range. 

Cosmo  had  had  enough  of  that  kind  of  adventure, 
while  Captain  Arms  declared  that  he  would  resign 
on  the  spot  if  there  was  to  be  any  more  "  fool  navi 
gating  on  mountain  tops."  But  there  were  many  per 
sons  in  the  Ark  who  would  have  been  very  glad  if 
King  Richard's  suggestion  had  been  carried  out. 

The  feelings  of  some  were  deeply  stirred  when  they 
learned  that  they  were  now  crossing  the  lower  end  of 
Palestine,  and  that  the  scenes  of  so  many  incidents  in 
the  history  of  Abraham,  Moses,  and  Joshua  lay 
buried  beneath  the  blue  water,  whose  almost  mo 
tionless  surface  was  marked  with  a  broad  trail  of 
foaming  bubbles  in  the  wake  of  the  immense  vessel. 

Cosmo  greatly  regretted  the  absence  of  the  sub 
mersible  when  they  were  picking  their  way  over  this 
perilous  region,  but  they  encountered  no  real  difficulty, 


316  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

and  at  length  found,  by  celestial  observations,  that 
they  were  beyond  all  dangers  and  safely  arrived  over 
the  deeply  submerged  desert. 

They  kept  on  for  several  days  toward  the  rising 
sun,  and  then  Captain  Arms  announced  that  the  ob 
servations  showed  that  they  were  over  the  site  of 
Babylon. 

This  happened  just  at  the  time  of  the  midday 
dinner,  and  over  the  dessert  Cosmo  seized  the  oppor 
tunity  to  make  a  little  speech,  which  could  be  heard 
by  all  in  the  saloon. 

;'  We  are  now  arrived,"  he  said,  "  over  the  very 
spot  where  the  descendants  of  Noah  are  said  to  have 
erected  a  tower,  known  as  the  Tower  of  Babel,  and 
which  they  intended  to  build  so  high  that  it  would 
afford  a  secure  refuge  in  case  there  should  be  another 
deluge. 

"  How  vain  were  such  expectations,  if  they  were 
ever  entertained,  is  sufficiently  shown  by  the  fact  that, 
at  this  moment,  the  water  rolls  more  than  three  thou 
sand  feet  deep  over  the  place  where  they  put  their 
tower,  and  before  the  present  deluge  is  over  it  will 
be  thirty  thousand  feet  deep. 

"  More  than  half  a  mile  beneath  our  feet  lie  the 
broad  plains  of  Chaldea,  where  tradition  asserts  that 
the  study  of  astronomy  began.  It  was  Berosus,  a 
Chaldean,  who  predicted  that  there  would  come  a 
second  deluge. 

"  It  occurs  to  me,  since  seeing  the  astounding  spec- 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES    317 

ta.de  disclosed  by  the  falling  apart  of  the  Sphinx,  that 
these  people  may  have  had  an  infinitely  more  pro 
found  knowledge  of  the  secrets  of  the  heavens  than 
tradition  has  assigned  to  them. 

"  On  the  breast  of  the  statue  in  the  Sphinx  was 
the  figure  of  a  crowned  man,  encircled  by  a  huge  ring, 
and  having  behind  him  the  form  of  a  boat  containing 
two  other  human  figures.  The  boat  was  represented 
as  floating  in  a  flood  of  waters. 

"  Now,  this  corresponds  exactly  with  figures  that 
have  been  found  among  the  most  ancient  ruins  in 
Chaldea.  I  regard  that  ring  as  symbolical  of  a 
nebula  enveloping  the  earth,  and  I  think  that  the 
second  deluge,  which  we  have  lived  to  see,  was  fore 
told  here  thousands  of  years  ago." 

"  Who  foretold  it  first,  then,  the  people  who  placed 
the  statue  in  the  Sphinx,  or  these  astronomers  of 
Chaldea  ?  "  asked  Professor  Abel  Able. 

"  I  believe,"  Cosmo  replied,  "  that  the  knowledge 
originated  here,  beneath  us,  and  that  it  was  afterward 
conveyed  to  the  Egyptians,  who  embodied  it  in  their 
great  symbolical  god." 

"  Are  we  to  understand,"  demanded  Professor 
Jeremiah  Moses,  "  that  this  figure  was  all  that  you 
saw  on  the  breast  of  the  statue,  and  that  you  simply 
inferred  that  the  ring  represented  a  nebula?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  Cosmo  replied.  "  The  principal 
representation  was  that  of  a  world  overwhelmed  with 
a  flood,  and  of  a  nebula  descending  upon  it." 


318  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  How  do  you  know  that  it  was  intended  for  a 
nebula?" 

"  Because  it  had  the  aspect  of  one,  and  it  was 
clearly  shown  to  be  descending  from  the  high 
heavens." 

"  A  cloud,"  suggested  Professor  Moses. 

"  No,  not  a  cloud.  Mark  this,  which  is  a  marvel 
in  itself:  It  had  the  form  of  a  spiral  nebula.  It  was 
unmistakable." 

At  this  point  the  discussion  was  interrupted  by 
a  call  to  Cosmo  Versal  from  Captain  Arms  on  the 
bridge.  He  hastily  left  the  table  and  ascended  to 
the  captain's  side. 

He  did  not  need  to  be  told  what  to  look  for.  Off 
in  the  north  the  sky  had  become  a  solid  black  mass, 
veined  with  the  fiercest  lightning.  The  pealing  of  the 
thunder  came  in  a  continuous  roll,  which  soon  grew 
so  loud  as  to  shake  the  Ark. 

"  Up  with  the  side-plates  !  "  shouted  Cosmo,  setting 
twenty  bells  ringing  at  once.  "  Close  tight  every 
opening !  Screw  down  the  port  shutters !  " 

The  crew  of  the  Ark  was,  in  a  few  seconds,  run 
ning  to  and  fro,  executing  the  orders  that  came  in 
swift  succession  from  the  commander's  bridge,  and 
the  passengers  were  thrown  into  wild  commotion. 
But  nobody  had  time  to  attend  to  them. 

"  It  is  upon  us !  "  yelled  Cosmo  in  the  captain's 
ear,  for  the  uproar  had  become  deafening.  '  The 
nucleus  is  here !  " 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   319 

The  open  promenade  decks  had  not  yet  all  been 
turned  into  inner  corridors  when  the  downpour  be 
gan  upon  the  Ark.  A  great  deal  of  water  found  its 
way  aboard,  but  the  men  worked  with  a  will,  as  fear 
ful  for  their  own  safety  as  for  that  of  others,  and 
in  a  little  while  everything  had  been  made  snug  and 
tight. 

In  a  short  time  a  tremendous  tempest  was  blowing, 
the  wind  coming  from  the  north,  and  the  Ark,  not 
withstanding  her  immense  breadth  of  beam,  was 
canted  over  to  leeward  at  an  alarming  angle.  On  the 
larboard  side  the  waves  washed  to  the  top  of  the 
great  elliptical  dome  and  broke  over  it,  and  their 
thundering  blows  shook  the  vessel  to  her  center,  caus 
ing  many  to  believe  that  she  was  about  to  founder. 

The  disorder  was  frightrul.  Men  and  women  were 
flung  about  like  tops,  and  no  one  could  keep  his  feet. 
Crash  after  crash,  that  could  be  heard  amid  the 
howling  of  the  storm,  the  battering  of  the  waves, 
and  the  awful  roar  of  the  deluge  descending  on  the 
roof,  told  the  fate  of  the  tableware  and  dishes  that 
had  been  hastily  left  in  the  big  dining  saloon. 

Chairs  recently  occupied  by  the  passengers  on  what 
had  been  the  promenade  decks,  and  from  which  they 
had  so  serenely,  if  often  sorrowfully,  looked  over  the 
broad,  peaceful  surface  of  the  waters,  were  now  dart 
ing,  rolling,  tumbling,  and  banging  about,  intermin 
gled  with  rugs,  hats,  coats,  and  other  abandoned  arti 
cles  of  clothing. 


320  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

The  pitching  and  rolling  of  the  Ark  were  so  much 
worse  than  they  had  been  during  the  first  days  of  the 
cataclysm,  that  Cosmo  became  very  solicitous  about 
his  collection  of  animals. 

He  hurried  down  to  the  animal  deck,  and  found, 
indeed,  that  things  were  in  a  lamentable  shape.  The 
trained  keepers  were  themselves  so  much  at  the  mercy 
of  the  storm  that  they  had  had  all  they  could  do  to 
save  themselves  from  being  trampled  to  death  by 
the  frightened  beasts. 

The  animals  had  been  furnished  with  separate  pens, 
but  during  the  long  continued  calm  the  keepers,  for 
the  sake  of  giving  their  charges  greater  freedom  and 
better  air,  had  allowed  many  of  them  to  go  at  large 
in  the  broad  central  space  around  which  the  pens 
were  placed,  and  the  tempest  had  come  so  unexpect 
edly  that  there  had  been  no  time  to  separate  them  and 
get  them  back  into  their  lodgings. 

When  Cosmo  descended  the  scene  that  met  his  eyes 
caused  him  to  cry  out  in  dismay,  but  he  could  not  have 
been  heard  if  he  had  spoken  through  a  trumpet.  The 
noise  and  uproar  were  stunning,  and  the  spectacle  was 
indescribable.  The  keepers  had  taken  refuge  on  a 
kind  of  gallery  running  round  the  central  space,  and 
were  hanging  on  there  for  their  lives. 

Around  them,  on  the  railings,  clinging  with  their 
claws,  wildly  flapping  their  wings,  and  swinging  with 
every  roll  of  the  vessel,  were  all  the  fowls  and  every 
winged  creature  in  the  Ark  except  the  giant  turkeys, 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   321 

whose  power  of  wing  was  insufficient  to  lift  them  out 
of  the  melee. 

But  all  the  four-footed  beasts  were  rolling,  tum 
bling,  and  struggling  in  the  open  space  below.  With 
every  lurch  of  the  Ark  they  were  swept  across  the 
floor  in  an  indistinguishable  mass. 

The  elephants  wisely  did  not  attempt  to  get  upon 
their  feet,  but  allowed  themselves  to  slide  from  side 
to  side,  sometimes  crushing  the  smaller  animals,  and 
sometimes,  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  rolling  upon 
their  backs,  with  their  titanic  limbs  swaying  above 
them,  and  their  trunks  wildly  grasping  whatever  came 
within  their  reach. 

The  huge  Californian  cattle  were  in  no  better  case, 
and  the  poor  sheep  presented  a  pitiable  spectacle  as 
they  were  tumbled  in  woolly  heaps  from  side  to  side. 

Strangest  sight  of  all  was  that  of  the  great  Astoria 
turtles.  They  had  been  pitched  upon  their  backs  and 
were  unable  to  turn  themselves  over,  and  their  big 
carapaces  served  admirably  for  sliders. 

They  glided  with  the  speed  of  logs  in  a  chute,  now 
this  way,  now  that,  shooting  like  immense  projec 
tiles  through  the  throng  of  struggling  beasts,  cutting 
down  those  that  happened  to  be  upon  their  feet,  and 
not  ending  their  course  until  they  had  crashed  against 
the  nearest  wall. 

As  one  of  the  turtles  slid  toward  the  bottom  of 
the  steps  on  which  Cosmo  was  clinging  it  cut  under  the 
legs  of  one  of  the  giant  turkeys,  and  the  latter,  mak- 


322  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ing  a  superphasianidasan  effort,  half  leaped,  half 
flapped  its  way  upon  the  steps  to  the  side  of  Cosmo 
Versal,  embracing  him  with  one  of  its  stumpy  wings, 
while  its  red  neck  and  head,  with  bloodshot  eyes, 
swayed  high  above  his  bald  dome. 

The  keepers  gradually  made  their  way  round  the 
gallery  to  Cosmo's  side,  and  he  indicated  to  them  by 
signs  that  they  must  quit  the  place  with  him,  and  wait 
for  a  lull  of  the  tempest  before  trying  to  do  anything 
for  their  charges. 

A  few  hours  later  the  wind  died  down,  and  then 
they  collected  all  that  remained  alive  of  the  animals 
in  their  pens  and  secured  them  as  best  they  could 
against  the  consequences  of  another  period  of  rolling 
and  pitching. 

The  experiences  of  the  passengers  had  been  hardly 
less  severe,  and  panic  reigned  throughout  the  Ark. 
After  the  lull  came,  however,  some  degree  of  order 
was  restored,  and  Cosmo  had  all  who  were  in  a  con 
dition  to  leave  their  rooms  assemble  in  the  grand  sa 
loon,  where  he  informed  them  of  the  situation  of  af 
fairs,  and  tried  to  restore  their  confidence.  The  roar 
on  the  roof,  in  spite  of  the  sound-absorbing  cover 
which  had  been  re-erected,  compelled  him  to  use  a 
trumpet. 

"  I  do  not  conceal  from  you,"  he  said  in  conclusion, 
"  that  the  worst  has  now  arrived.  I  do  not  look  for 
any  cessation  of  the  flood  from  the  sky  until  we  shall 
have  passed  through  the  nucleus  of  the  nebula.  But 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   323 

the  Ark  is  a  stout  vessel,  we  are  fully  provisioned, 
and  we  shall  get  through. 

"  All  your  chambers  have  been  specially  padded, 
as  you  may  have  remarked,  and  I  wish  you  to  remain 
in  them,  only  issuing  when  summoned  for  assembly 
here. 

"  I  shall  call  you  out  whenever  the  condition  of 
the  sea  renders  it  safe  for  you  to  leave  your  rooms. 
Food  will  be  regularly  served  in  your  quarters,  and 
I  beg  you  to  have  perfect  confidence  in  me  and  my 
assistants." 

But  the  confidence  which  Cosmo  Versal  recom 
mended  to  the  others  was  hardly  shared  by  himself 
and  Captain  Arms.  The  fury  of  the  blast  which  had 
just  left  them  had  exceeded  everything  that  Cosmo 
had  anticipated,  and  he  saw  that,  in  the  face  of  such 
hurricanes,  the  Ark  would  be  practically  unmanage 
able. 

One  of  his  first  cares  was  to  ascertain  the  rate  at 
which  the  downpour  was  raising  the  level  of  the 
water.  This,  too,  surprised  him.  His  gages  showed, 
time  after  time,  that  the  rainfall  was  at  the  rate  of 
about  four  inches  per  minute.  Sometimes  it  amounted 
to  as  much  as  six! 

"  The  central  part  of  the  nebula,"  he  said  to  the 
captain,  through  the  speaking-tube  which  they  had 
arranged  for  their  intercommunications  on  the  bridge, 
"  is  denser  than  I  had  supposed.  The  condensation 
is  enormous,  but  it  is  irregular,  and  I  think  it  very 


324  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

likely  that  it  is  more  rapid  in  the  north,  where  the 
front  of  the  globe  is  plunging  most  directly  into  the 
nebulous  mass. 

"  From  this  we  should  anticipate  a  tremendous 
flow  southward,  which  may  sweep  us  away  in  that 
direction.  This  will  not  be  a  bad  thing  for  a  while, 
since  it  is  southward  that  we  must  go  in  order  to 
reach  the  region  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  But,  in  order 
not  to  be  carried  too  rapidly  that  way,  I  think  it 
would  be  the  best  thing  to  point  the  Ark  toward  the 
northeast." 

"  How  am  I  to  know  anything  about  the  points  in 
this  blackness?"  growled  the  captain. 

4  You  must  go  the  best  you  can  by  the  compass," 
said  Cosmo. 

Cosmo  Versal,  as  subsequently  appeared,  was  right 
in  supposing  that  the  nucleus  of  the  nebula  was  ex 
ceedingly  irregular  in  density.  The  condensation 
was  not  only  much  heavier  in  the  north,  but  it  was 
very  erratic. 

Some  parts  of  the  earth  received  a  great  deal  more 
water  from  the  opened  flood-gates  above  than  others, 
and  this  difference,  for  some  reason  that  has  never 
been  entirely  explained,  was  especially  marked  be 
tween  the  eastern  and  western  hemispheres. 

We  have  already  seen  that  when  the  downpour  re 
commenced  in  Colorado  it  was  much  less  severe  than 
during  the  first  days  of  the  flood.  This  difference 
continued.  It  seems  that  all  the  denser  parts  of  the 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   325 

nucleus  happened  to  encounter  the  planet  on  its  eastern 
side. 

This  may  have  been  partly  due  to  the  fact  that 
as  the  rotating  earth  moved  on  in  its  eastward  motion 
round  the  sun  the  comparatively  dense  masses  of  the 
nebula  were  always  encountered  at  the  times  when  the 
eastern  hemisphere  was  in  advance.  The  fact,  which 
soon  became  apparent  to  Cosmo,  that  the  downpour 
was  always  the  most  severe  in  the  morning  hours, 
bears  out  this  hypothesis. 

It  accords  with  what  has  been  observed  with  re 
spect  to  meteors,  viz.,  that  they  are  more  abundant 
in  the  early  morning.  But  then  it  must  be  supposed 
that  the  condensed  masses  in  the  nebula  were  rela 
tively  so  small  that  they  became  successively  ex 
hausted,  so  to  speak,  before  the  western  hemisphere 
had  come  fairly  into  the  line  of  fire. 

Of  course  the  irregularity  in  the  arrival  of  the 
water  did  not,  in  the  end,  affect  the  general  level  of 
the  flood,  which  became  the  same  all  over  the  globe, 
but  it  caused  immense  currents,  as  Cosmo  had  fore 
seen. 

But  there  was  one  consequence  which  he  had  over 
looked.  The  currents,  instead  of  sweeping  the  Ark 
continually  southward,  as  he  had  anticipated,  formed 
a  gigantic  whirl,  set  up  unquestionably  by  the  great 
ranges  of  the  Himalayas,  the  Hindoo  Koosh,  and  the 
Caucasus. 

This  tremendous  maelstrom  formed  directly  over 


326  JHE  SECOND  DELUGE 

Persia  and  Arabia,  and,  turning  in  the  direction  of 
the  hands  of  a  watch,  its  influence  extended  westward 
beyond  the  place  where  the  Ark  now  was. 

The  consequence  was  that,  in  spite  of  all  their 
efforts,  Cosmo  and  the  captain  found  their  vessel 
swept  resistlessly  up  the  course  of  the  valley  contain 
ing  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris. 

They  were  unable  to  form  an  opinion  of  their  pre 
cise  location,  but  they  knew  the  general  direction  of 
the  movement,  and  by  persistent  logging  got  some 
idea  of  the  rate  of  progress. 

Fortunately  the  wind  seldom  blew  with  its  first 
violence,  but  the  effects  of  the  whirling  current  could 
be  but  little  counteracted  by  the  utmost  engine  power 
of  the  Ark. 

Day  after  day  passed  in  this  manner,  although, 
owing  to  the  density  of  the  rain,  the  difference  be 
tween  day  and  night  was  only  perceptible  by  the  peri 
odical  changes  from  absolute  blackness  to  a  very 
faint  illumination  when  the  sun  was  above  the 
horizon. 

The  rise  of  the  flood,  which  could  not  have  been  at 
a  less  rate  than  six  hundred  feet  every  twenty-four 
hours,  lifted  the  Ark  above  the  level  of  the  moun 
tains  of  Kurdistan  by  the  time  that  they  arrived  over 
the  upper  part  of  the  Mesopotamian  plain,  and  the 
uncertain  observations  which  they  occasionally  ob 
tained  of  the  location  of  the  sun,  combined  with  such 
dead  reckoning  as  they  were  able  to  make,  finally  con- 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   327 

vinced  them  that  they  must  certainly  be  approach 
ing  the  location  of  the  Black  Sea  and  the  Caucasus 
range. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  you're  going  to  do,"  yelled 
Captain  Arms.  "  You're  going  to  make  a  smash  on 
old  Ararat,  where  your  predecessor,  Noah,  made  his 
landfall." 

'  Tres  bien!"  shouted  De  Beauxchamps,  who  was 
frequently  on  the  bridge,  and  whose  Gallic  spirits 
nothing  could  daunt.  "  That's  a  good  omen !  M. 
Versal  should  send  out  one  of  his  turkeys  to  spy  a 
landing  place." 

They  were  really  nearer  Ararat  than  they  imag 
ined,  and  Captain  Arms's  prediction  narrowly  missed 
fulfillment.  Within  a  couple  of  hours  after  he  had 
spoken  a  dark  mass  suddenly  loomed  through  the 
dense  air  directly  in  their  track. 

Almost  at  the  same  time,  and  while  the  captain 
was  making  desperate  efforts  to  sheer  off,  the  sky 
lightened  a  little,  and  they  saw  an  immense  heap  of 
rock  within  a  hundred  fathoms  of  the  vessel. 

"Ararat,  by  all  that's  good!  "  yelled  the  captain. 
"  Sta'board !  Sta'board,  I  tell  you !  Full  power 
ahead!" 

The  Ark  yielded  slowly  to  her  helm,  and  the  screws 
whirled  madly,  driving  her  rapidly  past  the  rocks,  so 
close  that  they  might  have  tossed  a  biscuit  upon  them. 
The  set  of  the  current  also  aided  them,  and  they  got 
past  the  danger. 


328  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"Mountain  navigation  again!"  yelled  the  cap 
tain.  "  Here  we  are  in  a  nest  of  these  sky-shoals ! 
What  are  you  going  to  do  now?  " 

"  It  is  impossible  to  tell,"  returned  Cosmo, 
"  whether  this  is  Great  or  Little  Ararat.  The  former 
is  over  17,000  feet  high,  and  the  latter  at  least 
13,000.  It  is  now  twelve  days  since  the  flooding  re 
commenced. 

"  If  we  assume  a  rise  of  600  feet  in  twenty-four 
hours,  that  makes  a  total  of  7,200  feet,  which,  added 
to  the  3,300  that  we  had  before,  gives  10,500  feet 
for  the  present  elevation.  This  estimate  may  be  con 
siderably  out  of  the  way. 

"  I  feel  sure  that  both  the  Ararats  are  yet  well 
above  the  water  line.  We  must  get  out  of  this  region 
as  quickly  as  possible.  Luckily  the  swirl  of  the  cur 
rent  is  now  setting  us  eastward.  We  are  on  its  north 
ern  edge.  It  will  carry  the  Ark  down  south  of 
Mount  Demavend,  and  the  Elburz  range,  and  over 
the  Persian  plateau,  and  if  we  can  escape  from  it, 
as  I  hope,  by  getting  away  over  Beluchistan,  we  can 
go  directly  over  India  and  skirt  the  southern  side  of 
the  Himalayas.  Then  we  shall  be  near  the  goal 
which  we  have  had  in  mind." 

"Bless  me!"  said  the  captain,  staring  with  min 
gled  admiration  and  doubt  at  Cosmo  Versal,  "  if  you 
couldn't  beat  old  Noah  round  the  world,  and  give 
him  half  the  longitude.  But  I'd  rather  you'd  navi- 


THE  TERRIBLE  NUCLEUS  ARRIVES   329 

gate  this  hooker.     The  ghost  of   Captain   Sumner 
itself  couldn't  work  a  traverse  over  Beluchistan." 

"  You'll  do  it  all  right,"  returned  Cosmo,  "  and 
the  next  time  you  drop  your  anchor  it  will  probably 
be  on  the  head  of  Mount  Everest." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

ROBBING  THE    CROWN   OF   THE   WORLD 


that  they  were  going  with  the  current  in 
stead  of  striving  to  stem  it,  the  Ark  made  much 
more  rapid  way  than  during  the  time  that  it  was 
drifting  toward  the  Black  Sea. 

They  averaged  at  least  six  knots,  and,  with  the  aid 
of  the  current,  could  have  done  much  better,  but  they 
thought  it  well  to  be  cautious,  especially  as  they  had 
so  little  means  of  guessing  at  their  exact  location  from 
day  to  day.  The  water  was  rough. 

There  was,  most  of  the  time,  little  wind,  and  often 
a  large  number  of  the  passengers  assembled  in  the 
saloon. 

The  noise  of  the  deluge  on  the  roof  was  so  much 
greater  than  it  had  been  at  the  start  that  it  was  dif 
ficult  to  converse,  but  there  was  plenty  of  light,  and 
they  could,  at  least,  see  one  another,  and  communi 
cate  by  signs  if  not  very  easily  by  the  voice.  Cosmo's 
library  was  well  selected,  and  many  passed  hours  in 
reading  stories  of  the  world  they  were  to  see  no 
more! 

King  Richard  and  Amos  Blank  imitated  Cosmo  and 
the  captain  by  furnishing  themselves  with  a  speaking- 

330 


tube,  which  they  put  alternately  to  their  lips  and  their 
ears,  and  thus  held  long  conversations,  presumably 
exchanging  with  one  another  the  secrets  of  high 
finance  and  kingly  government. 

Both  of  them  had  enough  historical  knowledge  and 
sufficient  imagination  to  be  greatly  impressed  by  the 
fact  that  they  were  drifting,  amidst  this  terrible  storm, 
over  the  vast  empire  that  Alexander  the  Great  had 
conquered. 

They  mused  over  the  events  of  the  great  Mace 
donian's  long  marches  through  deserts  and  over  moun 
tains,  and  the  king,  who  loved  the  story  of  these 
glories  of  the  past,  though  he  had  cultivated  peace 
in  his  own  dominions,  often  sighed  while  they  re 
called  them  to  one  another.  Lord  Swansdown  and 
the  other  Englishmen  aboard  seldom  joined  their  king 
since  he  had  preferred  the  company  of  an  untitled 
American  to  theirs. 

The  first  named  could  not  often  have  made  a  mem 
ber  of  the  party  if  he  had  wished,  for  he  kept  his 
room  most  of  the  time,  declaring  that  he  had  never 
been  so  beastly  seasick  in  his  life.  He  thought  that 
such  an  abominable  roller  as  the  Ark  should  never 
have  been  permitted  to  go  into  commission,  don't  you 
know. 

On  the  morning  of  the  twelfth  day  after  they  left- 
the  neighborhood  of  Mount  Ararat  Captain  Arms 
averred  that  their  position  must  be  somewhere  near 
longitude  69  degrees  east,  latitude  26  degrees  north. 


332  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Then  you  have  worked  your  traverse  over  Belu- 
chistan  very  well,"  said  Cosmo,  "  and  we  are  now 
afloat  above  the  valley  of  the  River  Indus.  We  have 
the  desert  of  northwestern  India  ahead,  and  from  that 
locality  we  can  continue  right  down  the  course  of  the 
'Ganges.  In  fact  it  would  be  perfectly  safe  to  turn 
northward  and  skirt  the  Himalayas  within  reach  of 
the  high  peaks.  I  think  that's  what  I'll  do." 

"  If  you  go  fooling  round  any  more  peaks,"  shouted 
Captain  Arms,  in  a  fog-horn  voice,  "  you'll  have  to 
do  your  own  steering!  I've  had  enough  of  that  kind 
of  navigation !  " 

Nevertheless  when  Cosmo  Versal  gave  the  order 
the  captain  turned  the  prow  of  the  Ark  toward  the 
presumable  location  of  the  great  Himalayan  range, 
although  the  rebellion  of  his  spirit  showed  in  the  erect 
set  of  his  whiskers.  They  were  now  entirely  beyond 
the  influence  of  the  whirl  that  had  at  first  got  them 
into  trouble,  and  then  helped  them  out  of  it,  in  west 
ern  Asia. 

Behind  the  barrier  of  the  ancient  "  Roof  of  the 
World  "  the  sea  was  relatively  calm,  although,  at 
times,  they  felt  the  effect  of  currents  pouring  down 
from  the  north,  which  had  made  their  way  through 
the  lofty  passes  from  the  Tibetan  side. 

Cosmo  calculated  from  his  estimate  of  the  proba 
ble  rate  of  rise  of  the  flood  and  from  the  direction 
and  force  of  the  currents  that  all  but  the  very  highest 
of  the  Pamirs  must  already  be  submerged. 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD     333 

It  was  probable,  he  thought,  that  the  water  had 
attained  a  level  of  between  seventeen  and  eighteen 
thousand  feet.  .This,  as  subsequent  events  indicated, 
was  undoubtedly  an  underestimate.  The  downpour 
in  the  north  must  have  been  far  greater  than  Cosmo 
thought,  and  the  real  height  of  the  flood  was  consid 
erably  in  excess  of  what  he  supposed. 

If  they  could  have  seen  some  of  the  gigantic  peaks 
as  they  approached  the  mountains  in  the  eastern  Pun 
jab,  south  of  Cashmere,  they  would  have  been  aware 
of  the  error. 

As  it  was,  owing  to  the  impossibility  of  seeing  more 
than  a  short  distance  even  when  the  light  was  bright 
est,  they  kept  farther  south  than  was  really  necessary, 
and  after  passing,  as  they  believed,  over  Delhi,  steered 
south  by  east,  following  substantially  the  course  that 
Cosmo  had  originally  named  along  the  line  of  the 
Ganges  valley. 

They  were  voyaging  much  slower  now,  and  after 
another  ten  days  had  passed  an  unexpected  change 
came  on.  The  downpour  diminished  in  severity,  and 
at  times  the  sun  broke  forth,  and  for  an  hour  or  two 
the  rain  would  cease  entirely,  although  the  sky  had 
a  coppery  tinge,  and  at  night  small  stars  were  not 
clearly  visible. 

Cosmo  was  greatly  surprised  at  this.  He  could 
only  conclude  that  the  central  part  of  the  nebula  had 
been  less  extensive,  though  more  dense,  than  he  had 
estimated.  It  was  only  thirty-four  days  since  the 


334  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

deluge  had  recommenced,  and  unless  present  appear 
ances  were  deceptive,  its  end  might  be  close  at  hand. 

Captain  Arms  seized  the  opportunity  to  make  ce 
lestial  and  solar  observations  which  delighted  his  sea 
man's  heart,  and  with  great  glee  he  informed  Cosmo 
that  they  were  in  longitude  88  degrees  20  minutes 
east,  latitude  24  degrees  15  minutes  north,  and  he 
would  stake  his  reputation  as  a  navigator  upon  it. 

"  Almost  exactly  the  location  of  Moorshedabad,  in 
Bengal,"  said  Cosmo,  consulting  his  chart.  '  The 
mighty  peak  of  Kunchingunga  is  hardly  more  than 
two  hundred  miles  toward  the  north,  and  Mount 
Everest,  the  highest  point  in  the  world,  is  within  a 
hundred  miles  of  that!  " 

"  But  you're  not  going  skimming  around  them!  " 
cried  the  captain  with  some  alarm. 

"  I  shall,  if  the  sky  continues  in  its  present  condi 
tion,  go  as  far  as  Darjeeling,"  replied  Cosmo. 
'  Then  we  can  turn  eastward  and  get  over  upper 
Burmah  and  so  on  into  China.  From  there  we  can 
turn  north  again. 

"  I  think  we  can  manage  to  get  into  Tibet  some 
where  between  the  ranges.  It  all  depends  upon  the 
height  of  the  water,  and  that  I  can  ascertain  exactly 
by  getting  a  close  look  at  Kunchingunga.  I  would 
follow  the  line  of  the  Brahmaputra  River  if  I  dared, 
but  the  way  is  too  beset  with  perils." 

"  I  think  you've  made  a  big  mistake,"  said  the  cap 
tain.  "  Why  didn't  you  come  directly  across  Russia, 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD     335 

after  first  running  up  to  the  Black  Sea  from  the 
Mediterranean,  and  so  straight  into  Tibet?  " 

"  I  begin  to  think  that  that's  what  I  ought  to  have 
done,"  responded  Cosmo,  thoughtfully,  "  but  when 
we  started  the  water  was  not  high  enough  to  make  me 
sure  of  that  route,  and  after  we  got  down  into  Egypt 
I  didn't  want  to  run  back.  But  I  guess  it  would  have 
been  better." 

"  Better  a  sight  than  steering  among  these  five-mile 
peaks,"  growled  Captain  Arms.  "  How  high  does 
Darjeeling  lie?  I  don't  want  to  run  aground  again." 

"  Oh,  that's  perfectly  safe,"  responded  Cosmo. 
"  Darjeeling  is  only  about  7,350  feet  above  the  old 
sea-level.  I  think  we  can  go  almost  to  the  foot  of 
Kunchingunga  without  any  danger." 

"  Well,  the  name  sounds  dangerous  enough  in  it 
self,"  said  the  captain,  "  but  I  suppose  you'll  have 
your  way.  Give  me  the  bearings  and  we'll  be  off." 

They  took  two  days  to  get  to  the  location  of 
Darjeeling,  for  at  times  the  sky  darkened  and  the 
rain  came  down  again  in  tremendous  torrents.  But 
these  spells  did  not  last  more  than  two  or  three  hours, 
and  the  weather  cleared  between  them. 

As  soon  as  they  advanced  beyond  Darjeeling,  keep 
ing  a  sharp  outlook  for  Kunchingunga,  Cosmo  began 
to  perceive  the  error  of  his  calculation  of  the  height 
of  the  flood. 

The  mountain  should  still  have  projected  more  than 
three  thousand  feet  above  the  waves,  allowing  that 


336  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  average  rise  during  the  thirty-six  days  since  the 
recommencement  of  the  flood  had  been  six  hundred 
feet  a  day. 

But,  in  fact,  they  did  not  see  it  at  all,  and  thought 
at  first  that  it  had  been  totally  submerged.  At  last 
they  found  it,  a  little  rocky  island,  less  than  two  hun 
dred  feet  above  the  water,  according  to  Cosmo's  care 
ful  measure,  made  from  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile. 

"  .This  is  great  news  for  us,"  he  exclaimed,  as  soon 
as  he  had  completed  the  work.  '  This  will  save  us 
a  long  journey  round.  The  water  must  now  stand  at 
about  27,900  feet,  and  although  there  are  a  consid 
erable  number  of  peaks  in  the  Himalayas  approach 
ing  such  an  elevation,  there  are  only  three  or  four 
known  to  reach  or  exceed  it,  of  which  Kunchingunga 
is  one. 

"  We  can,  then,  run  right  over  the  roof  of  the 
world,  and  there  we'll  be,  in  Tibet.  Then  we  can 
determine  from  what  side  it  is  safest  to  approach 
Mount  Everest,  for  I  am  very  desirous  to  get  near 
that  celebrated  peak,  and,  if  possible,  see  it  go  under." 

"  But  the  weather  isn't  safe  yet,"  objected  Captain 
Arms.  "  Suppose  we  should  be  caught  in  another 
downpour,  and  everything  black  about  us!  I'm  not 
going  to  navigate  this  ship  by  searchlight  among 
mountains  twenty-eight  thousand  feet  tall,  when  the 
best  beam  that  ever  shot  from  a  mirror  won't  show 
an  object  a  hundred  fathoms  away." 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD     337 

"  Very  well,"  Cosmo  replied,  "  we'll  circle  around 
south  for  a  few  days  and  see  what  will  happen.  I 
think  myself  that  it's  not  quite  over  yet  The  fact 
is,  I  hope  it  isn't,  for  now  that  it  has  gone  so  far, 
I'd  like  to  see  the  top-knot  of  the  earth  covered." 

;(  Well,  it  certainly  couldn't  do  any  more  harm  if 
it  got  up  as  high  as  the  moon,"  responded  the  cap 
tain. 

They  spent  four  days  sailing  to  and  fro  over  India, 
and  during  the  first  three  of  those  days  there  were 
intermittent  downpours.  But  the  whole  of  the  last 
period  of  twenty-four  hours  was  entirely  without  rain, 
and  the  color  of  the  sky  changed  so  much  that  Cosmo 
declared  he  would  wait  no  longer. 

"  Everest,"  he  said,  "  is  only  940  feet  higher  than 
Kunchingunga,  and  it  may  be  sunk  out  of  sight  before 
we  can  get  there." 

"  Do  you  think  the  water  is  still  rising?  "  asked  De 
Beauxchamps,  while  King  Richard  and  Amos  Blank 
listened  eagerly  for  the  reply,  for  now  that  the 
weather  had  cleared,  the  old  company  was  all  assem 
bled  on  the  bridge. 

"  Yes,  slowly,"  said  Cosmo.  "  There  is  a  per 
ceptible  current  from  the  north  which  indicates  that 
condensation  is  still  going  on  there.  You'll  see  that 
it'll  come  extremely  close  to  the  six  miles  I  predicted 
before  it's  all  over." 

By  the  time  they  had  returned  to  the  neighborhood 
of  the  mountains  the  sky  had  become  blue,  with  only 


338  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

occasionally  a  passing  sunshower,  and  Cosmo  ordered 
the  promenades  to  be  thrown  open,  and  the  pas 
sengers,  with  great  rejoicings,  resumed  their  daily 
lounging  and  walking  on  deck. 

It  required  a  little  effort  of  thought  to  make  them 
realize  their  situation,  but  when  they  did  it  grew  upon 
them  until  they  could  not  sufficiently  express  their 
wonder. 

Here  they  were,  on  an  almost  placid  sea,  with  tepid 
airs  blowing  gently  in  their  faces,  and  a  scorching  sun 
overhead,  whose  rays  had  to  be  shielded  off,  floating 
over  the  highest  pinnacles  of  the  roof  of  the  world, 
the  traditional  "  Abode  of  Snow !  " 

All  around  them,  beneath  the  rippled  blue  surface, 
lined  here  and  there  with  little  white  windrows  of 
foam,  stood  submerged  peaks,  24,000,  25,000,  26,- 
ooo,  27,000,  28,000  feet  in  elevation!  They  sailed 
over  their  summits  and  saw  them  not. 

All  began  now  to  sympathize  with  Cosmo's  desire 
to  find  Everest  before  it  should  have  disappeared  with 
its  giant  brothers.  Its  location  was  accurately  known 
from  the  Indian  government  surveys,  and  Captain 
Arms  had  every  facility  for  finding  the  exact  position 
of  the  Ark.  They  advanced  slowly  toward  the  north 
west,  a  hundred  glasses  eagerly  scanning  the  horizon 
ahead. 

Finally,  at  noon  on  the  third  day  of  their  search, 
the  welcome  cry  of  "  Land  ho !  "  came  down  from 
the  cro'nest.  Captain  Arms  immediately  set  his 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD     339 

course  for  the  landfall,  and  in  the  course  of  a  little 
more  than  an  hour  had  it  broad  abeam. 

"  It's  Everest,  without  question,"  said  Cosmo. 
"  It's  the  crown  of  the  world." 

But  how  strange  was  its  appearance !  A  reddish- 
brown  mass  of  rock,  rising  abruptly  out  of  the  blue 
water,  really  a  kind  of  crown  in  form,  but  not  more 
than  a  couple  of  square  rods  in  extent,  and  about  three 
feet  high  at  its  loftiest  point. 

There  was  no  snow,  of  course,  for  that  had  long 
since  disappeared,  owing  to  the  rise  of  temperature, 
and  no  snow  would  have  fallen  in  that  latitude  now, 
even  in  mid-winter,  because  the  whole  base  of  the 
atmosphere  had  been  lifted  up  nearly  six  miles. 

Sea-level  pressures  were  prevailing  where  the  baro 
metric  column  would  once  have  dropped  almost  to 
the  bottom  of  its  tube.  It  was  all  that  was  left  of 
the  world! 

North  of  them,  under  the  all-concealing  ocean,  lay 
the  mighty  plateau  of  Tibet;  far  toward  the  east  was 
China,  deeply  buried  with  its  500,000,000  of  inhab 
itants;  toward  the  south  lay  India,  over  which  they 
had  so  long  been  sailing;  northwestward  the  tre 
mendous  heights  of  the  Pamir  region  and  of  the 
Hindu-Kush  were  sunk  beneath  the  sea. 

;'  When  this  enormous  peak  was  covered  with 
snow,"  said  Cosmo,  "  its  height  was  estimated  at 
29,002  feet,  or  almost  five  and  three-quarter  miles. 
The  removal  of  the  snow  has,  of  course,  lowered  it. 


340  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

but  I  think  it  probable  that  this  point,  being  evidently 
steep  on  all  sides,  and  of  very  small  area,  was  so 
swept  by  the  wind  that  the  snow  was  never  very  deep 
upon  it. 

"  If  we  allow  ten,  or  even  twenty  feet  for  the  snow, 
the  height  of  this  rock  cannot  be  much  less  than 
29,000  feet  above  the  former  sea-level.  But  I  do  not 
dare  to  approach  closer,  because  Everest  had  a  broad 
summit,  and  we  might  possibly  ground  upon  a  sharp 
ridge." 

"  And  you  are  sure  that  the  water  is  still  rising?  " 
asked  De  Beauxchamps  again. 

;<  Watch  and  you  will  see,"  Cosmo  responded. 

The  Ark  was  kept  circling  very  slowly  within  a 
furlong  of  the  rocky  crown,  and  everybody  who  had 
a  glass  fixed  his  eyes  upon  it. 

"  The  peak  is  certainly  sinking,"  said  De  Beaux- 
champs  at  last.  "  I  believe  it  has  gone  down  three 
inches  in  the  last  fifteen  minutes." 

"  Keep  your  eyes  fixed  on  some  definite  point,"  said 
Cosmo  to  the  others  who  were  looking,  "  and  you 
will  easily  note  the  rise  of  the  water." 

They  watched  it  until  nobody  felt  any  doubt.  Inch 
by  inch  the  crown  of  the  world  was  going  under.  In 
an  hour  Cosmo's  instruments  showed  that  the  highest 
point  had  settled  to  a  height  of  but  two  feet  above 
the  sea. 

"  But  when  will  the  elevation  that  you  have  pre 
dicted  begin?"  asked  one. 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD     341 

"  Its  effects  will  not  become  evident  immediately," 
Cosmo  replied.  "  It  may  possibly  already  have  be 
gun,  but  if  so,  it  is  masked  by  the  continued  rise  of 
the  water." 

"  And  how  long  shall  we  have  to  wait  for  the  re- 
emergence  of  Tibet?" 

"  I  cannot  tell,  but  it  will  be  a  long  time.  But  do 
not  worry  about  that.  We  have  plenty  of  provisions, 
and  the  weather  will  continue  fine  after  the  departure 
of  the  nebula." 

They  circled  about  until  only  a  foot  or  so  of  the 
rock  remained  above  the  reach  of  the  gently  washing 
waves.  Suddenly  struck  by  a  happy  thought,  De 
Beauxchamps  exclaimed: 

"  I  must  have  a  souvenir  from  the  crown  of  the 
disappearing  world.  M.  Versal,  will  you  permit  me 
to  land  upon  it  with  one  of  your  boats?  " 

De  Beauxchamps's  suggestion  was  greeted  with 
cheers,  and  twenty  others  immediately  expressed  a 
desire  to  go. 

"  No,"  said  Cosmo  to  the  eager  applicants,  "  it  is 
M.  De  Beauxchamps's  idea;  let  him  go  alone.  Yes," 
he  continued,  addressing  the  Frenchman,  "  you  can 
have  a  boat,  and  I  will  send  two  men  with  you  to 
manage  it.  You'd  better  hurry,  or  there  will  be 
nothing  left  to  land  upon." 

The  necessary  orders  were  quickly  given,  and  in 
five  minutes  De  Beauxchamps,  watched  by  envious 
eyes,  was  rapidly  approaching  the  disappearing  rock. 


342  JHE  SECOND  DELUGE 

They  saw  him  scramble  out  upon  it,  and  they  gave  a 
mighty  cheer  as  he  waved  his  hand  at  them. 

He  had  taken  a  hammer  with  him,  and  with  breath 
less  interest  they  watched  him  pounding  and  prying 
about  the  rock.  They  could  see  that  he  selected  the 
very  highest  point  for  his  operations. 

While  he  worked  away,  evidently  filling  his  pock 
ets,  the  interest  of  the  onlookers  became  more  and 
more  intense. 

"  Look  out !  "  they  presently  began  to  shout  at  him, 
"  you  will  be  caught  by  the  water." 

But  he  paid  no  attention,  working  with  feverish 
rapidity.  Suddenly  the  watchers  saw  a  little  ripple 
break  over  the  last  speck  of  dry  land  on  the  globe, 
and  De  Beauxchamps  standing  up  to  his  shoe-laces  in 
water.  Cries  of  dismay  came  from  the  Ark.  De 
Beauxchamps  now  gave  over  his  work,  and,  with  ap 
parent  reluctance,  entered  the  boat,  which  was  rowed 
close  up  to  the  place  where  he  was  standing. 

As  the  returning  boat  approached  the  Ark,  another 
volley  of  cheers  broke  forth,  and  the  Frenchman, 
standing  up  to  his  full  height,  waved  with  a  trium 
phant  air  something  that  sparkled  brilliantly  in  the 
sunshine. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  M.  De  Beauxchamps,"  cried 
Cosmo,  as  the  adventurer  scrambled  aboard.  '  You 
have  stood  where  no  human  foot  has  ever  been  be 
fore,  and  I  see  that  you  have  secured  your  souvenir 
of  the  world  that  was." 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD      343 

'  Yes,"  responded  De  Beauxchamps  exultantly, 
"  and  see  what  it  is — a  worthy  decoration  for  such 
a  coronet." 

He  held  up  his  prize,  amid  exclamations  of  aston 
ishment  and  admiration  from  those  who  were  near 
enough  to  see  it. 

"  The  most  beautiful  specimen  of  amethyst  I  ever 
beheld !  "  cried  a  mineralogist  enthusiastically,  taking 
it  from  De  Beauxchamps's  hand.  "  What  was  the 
rock?" 

"  Unfortunately,  I  am  no  mineralogist,"  replied 
the  Frenchman,  "  and  I  cannot  tell  you,  but  these 
gems  were  abundant.  I  could  have  almost  filled  the 
boat  if  I  had  had  time. 

"  The  amethyst,"  he  added  gayly,  "  is  the  tradi 
tional  talisman  against  intoxication,  but,  although 
these  adorned  her  tiara,  the  poor  old  world  has  drunk 
her  fill." 

"  But  it  is  only  water,"  said  Cosmo,  smiling. 

"  Too  much,  at  any  rate,"  returned  the  French 
man. 

"  I  should  say,"  continued  the  mineralogist,  "  that 
the  rock  was  some  variety  of  syenite,  from  its  gen 
eral  appearance." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  that,"  replied  De  Beaux- 
champs,  "  but  I  have  the  jewels  of  the  terrestrial 
queen,  and,"  he  continued  gallantly,  "  I  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  bestowing  them  upon  the  ladies." 

He  emptied  his  pockets,  and  found  that  he  had 


344  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

enough  to  give  every  woman  aboard  the  Ark  a  speci 
men,  with  several  left  over  for  some  of  the  men, 
Cosmo,  of  course,  being  one  of  the  recipients. 

'  There,"  said  De  Beauxchamps,  as  he  handed  the 
stone  to  Cosmo,  "  there  is  a  memento  from  the 
Gaurisankar." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon — Mount  Everest,  if  you 
please,"  interposed  Edward  Whistlington. 

"  No,"  responded  the  Frenchman  stoutly,  "  it  is  the 
Gaurisankar.  Why  will  you  English  persist  in  re 
naming  everything  in  the  world?  Gaurisankar  is  the 
native  name,  and,  in  my  opinion,  far  more  appro 
priate  and  euphonious  than  Everest." 

This  discussion  was  not  continued,  for  now  every 
body  became  interested  in  the  movements  of  the  Ark. 
Cosmo  had  decided  that  it  would  be  safe  to  ap 
proach  close  to  the  point  where  the  last  peak  of  the 
mountain  had  disappeared. 

Cautiously  they  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  until,  look 
ing  through  the  wonderfully  transparent  water,  they 
caught  sight  of  a  vast  precipice  descending  with 
frightful  steepness,  down  and  down,  until  all  was  lost 
in  the  profundity  beneath. 

The  point  on  which  De  Beauxchamps  had  landed 
was  now  covered  so  deep  that  the  water  had  ceased 
to  swirl  about  it,  but  lay  everywhere  in  an  unbroken 
sheet,  which  was  every  moment  becoming  more  placid 
and  refulgent  in  the  sunshine. 

The  world  was  drowned  at  last!    As  they  looked 


THE  CROWN  OF  THE  WORLD     345 

abroad  over  the  convex  surface,  they  thought,  with 
a  shudder,  that  now  the  earth,  seen  from  space,  was 
only  a  great,  glassy  ball,  mirroring  the  sun  and  the 
stars. 

But  they  were  ignorant  of  what  had  happened  far 
in  the  west ! 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME 

A  FTER  the  disappearance  of  Mt.  Everest,  Cosmo 
Versal  made  a  careful  measurement  of  the 
depth  of  water  on  the  peak,  which  he  found  to  be 
forty  feet,  and  then  decided  to  cruise  eastward  with 
the  Ark,  sailing  slowly,  and  returning  after  a  month 
to  see  whether  by  that  time  there  would  be  any  indi 
cations  of  the  reappearance  of  land. 

No  part  of  his  extraordinary  theory  of  the  deluge 
was  more  revolutionary,  or  scientifically  incredible, 
than  this  idea  that  the  continents  would  gradually 
emerge  again,  owing  to  internal  stresses  set  up  in  the 
crust  of  the  earth. 

This,  he  anticipated,  would  be  caused  by  the  tre 
mendous  pressure  of  the  water,  which  must  be  ten 
or  twelve  miles  deep  over  the  greatest  depressions 
of  the  old  ocean-bottoms.  He  expected  that  geo 
logical  movements  would  attend  the  intrusion  of  the 
water  into  subterranean  cavities  and  into  the  heated 
magma  under  volcanic  regions. 

He  often  debated  the  question  with  the  savants 
aboard  the  Ark,  and,  despite  their  incredulity,  he  per- 

346 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME    347 

sisted  in  his  opinion.  He  could  not  be  shaken,  either, 
in  his  belief  that  the  first  land  to  emerge  would  be 
the  Himalayas,  the  Pamirs,  and  the  plateau  of  Tibet. 

"  We  may  have  to  wait  some  years  before  any 
considerable  area  is  exposed,"  he  admitted,  "  but  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  what  land  does  first  appear 
above  the  water  will  lie  at  the  existing  sea-level,  and 
will  have  an  oceanic  climate,  suitable  for  the  rapid 
development  of  plants. 

"  We  have  aboard  all  things  needed  for  quick  culti 
vation,  and  in  one  season  we  could  begin  to  raise 
crops." 

"  But  at  first,"  said  Professor  Jeremiah  Moses, 
"  only  mountain  tops  will  emerge,  and  how  can  you 
expect  to  cultivate  them?  " 

"  There  is  every  probability,"  replied  Cosmo, 
"  that  even  the  rocks  of  a  mountain  will  be  sufficiently 
friable  after  their  submergence  to  be  readily  reduced 
to  the  state  of  soil,  especially  with  the  aid  of  the 
chemical  agents  which  I  have  brought  along,  and  I 
have  no  fear  that  I  could  not,  in  a  few  weeks,  make 
even  the  top  of  Everest  fertile. 

"  I  anticipate,  in  fact,  that  it  will  be  on  that  very 
summit  that  we  shall  begin  the  re-establishment  of  the 
race.  Then,  as  the  plateaus  below  come  to  the  sur 
face,  we  can  gradually  descend  and  enlarge  the  field 
of  our  operations." 

"  Suppose  Everest  should  be  turned  into  a  vol 
cano?  " 


348  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  That  cannot  happen,"  said  Cosmo.  u  A  volcano 
is  built  up  by  the  extrusion  of  lava  and  cinders  from 
below,  and  these  cannot  break  forth  at  the  top  of 
a  mountain  already  formed,  especially  when  that 
mountain  has  no  volcanic  chimney  and  no  crater,  and 
Everest  had  neither." 

"  If  the  lowering  of  the  flood  that  caused  our 
stranding  on  a  mountain  top  in  Sicily  was  due  to  the 
absorption  of  water  into  the  interior  of  the  crust,  why 
may  not  that  occur  again,  and  thus  bring  the  Hima 
layas  into  view,  without  any  rising  on  their  part?" 
demanded  Professor  Moses. 

"  I  think,"  said  Cosmo,  "  that  all  the  water  that 
could  enter  the  crust  has  already  done  so,  during  the 
time  that  the  depression  of  level  which  so  surprised 
us  was  going  on.  Now  we  must  wait  for  geologic 
changes,  resulting  from  the  gradual  yielding  of  the 
internal  mass  to  the  new  forces  brought  to  bear  upon 
it. 

"  As  the  whole  earth  has  gained  in  weight  by  the 
condensation  of  the  nebula  upon  it,  its  plastic  crust 
will  proportionally  gain  in  girth  by  internal  expansion, 
which  will  finally  bring  all  the  old  continents  to  the 
surface,  but  Asia  first  of  all." 

Whether  Cosmo  VersaTs  hypotheses  were  right  or 
wrong,  he  always  had  a  reply  to  any  objection,  and  the 
prestige  which  he  had  gained  by  his  disastrously  cor 
rect  theory  about  the  watery  nebula  gave  him  an 
advantage  so  enormous  that  nobody  felt  enough  con- 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME    349 

fidence  in  himself  to  stand  long  against  anything  that 
he  might  advance. 

Accordingly,  everybody  in  the  Ark  found  himself 
looking  forward  to  the  re-emergence  of  Mount 
Everest  almost  as  confidently  as  did  their  leader, 
Cosmo  Versal. 

They  began  their  waiting  voyage  by  sailing  across 
the  plateau  of  Tibet  and  the  lofty  chain  of  the  Yung- 
ling  Mountains  out  over  China. 

The  interest  of  all  aboard  was  excited  to  the  high 
est  degree  when  they  found  themselves  sailing  over 
the  mighty  domains  of  the  Chinese  President-Em 
peror,  who  had  developed  an  enormous  power,  mak 
ing  him  the  ruler  of  the  whole  eastern  world. 

He,  with  his  half-billion  or  more  of  subjects,  now 
reposed  at  the  bottom  of  an  ocean  varying  from  three 
to  five  or  six  miles  in  depth.  Deep  beneath  the  Ark 
lay  the  broad  and  once  populous  valleys  of  the  Yang- 
tse-Kiang  and  the  Hoang-Ho,  the  "  Scourge  of 
China." 

Finally  they  swung  round  northward  and  re-en 
tered  the  region  of  Tibet,  seeking  once  more  the 
drowned  crown  of  the  world.  In  the  meantime 
Cosmo  had  had  the  theatrical  exhibitions  and  the 
concerts  resumed  in  the  evenings,  and  sometimes  there 
was  music,  and  even  dancing  on  the  long  promenades, 
open  to  the  outer  air. 

Let  not  that  be  a  matter  of  surprise  or  blame,  for 
the  spirit  of  joy  in  life  is  unconquerable,  as  it  should 


350  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

be  if  life  is  worth  while.  So  it  happened  that,  not 
infrequently,  and  not  with  any  blameworthy  intention, 
or  in  any  spirit  of  heartless  forgetfulness,  this  re 
markable  company  of  world-wanderers  drifted,  in  the 
moonlight,  above  the  universal  watery  grave  of  the 
drowned  millions,  with  the  harmonies  of  stringed  in 
struments  stealing  out  upon  the  rippling  waves,  and 
the  soft  sound  of  swiftly  shuffling  feet  tripping  over 
the  smooth  decks. 

Costake  Theriade  and  Sir  Wilfrid  Athelstone  re 
sumed  their  stormy  efforts  to  talk  each  other  down, 
but  now  even  Cosmo  was  seldom  a  listener,  except 
when  he  had  to  interfere  to  keep  the  peace. 

King  Richard  and  Amos  Blank,  however,  usually 
heard  them  out,  but  it  was  evident  from  their  expres 
sions  that  they  enjoyed  the  prospective  fisticuffs  rather 
more  than  the  exposition  of  strange  scientific  doc 
trines. 

Perhaps  the  happiest  man  aboard  was  Captain 
Arms.  At  last  he  could  make  as  many  and  as  certain 
observations  as  he  chose,  and  he  studied  the  charts 
of  Asia  until  he  declared  that  now  he  knew  the  lati 
tude  and  longitude  of  the  mountains  better  than  he 
did  those  of  the  seaports  of  the  old  oceans. 

He  had  not  the  least  difficulty  in  finding  the  loca 
tion  of  Mount  Everest  again,  and  when  he  announced 
that  they  were  floating  over  it,  Cosmo  immediately 
prepared  to  make  another  measurement  of  the  depth 
of  water  on  the  peak.  The  result  was  hardly  gratify- 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME    351 

ing.  He  found  that  it  had  diminished  but  four 
inches.  He  said  to  Captain  Arms: 

"  The  range  is  rising,  but  less  rapidly  than  I  hoped. 
Even  if  the  present  rate  should  be  doubled  it  would 
require  five  years  for  the  emergence  of  the  highest 
point.  Instead  of  remaining  in  this  part  of  the  world 
we  shall  have  an  abundance  of  time  to  voyage  round 
the  earth,  going  leisurely,  and  when  we  get  back 
again  perhaps  there  will  be  enough  land  visible  to 
give  us  a  good  start" 

"  Mr.  Versal,"  said  the  captain,  "  you  remember 
that  you  promised  me  that  I  should  drop  my  anchor 
on  the  head  of  Mount  Everest  if  I  worked  a  traverse 
across  Beluchistan." 

"  Certainly  I  remember  it;  and  also  that  you  were 
not  much  disposed  to  undertake  the  task.  However, 
you  did  it  well,  and  I  suppose  that  now  you  want  me 
to  fulfill  the  bargain?" 

"  Exactly,"  replied  the  captain.  "  I'd  just  like  to 
get  a  mud-hook  in  the  top-knot  of  the  earth.  I 
reckon  that  that'll  lay  over  all  the  sea  yarns  ever 
spun." 

"  Very  well,"  returned  Cosmo.  "  Try  it,  if  you've 
got  cable  enough." 

"  Enough  and  to  spare,"  cried  the  captain,  "  and 
I'll  have  the  Gaurisankar,  as  the  Frenchman  calls  it, 
hooked  in  a  jiffy." 

This  was  an  operation  which  called  everybody  to 
to  the  rails  to  watch  it.  Hundreds  of  eyes  tried  to 


352  [THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

follow  the  anchor  as  it  descended  perpendicularly 
upon  the  mountain-top,  nearly  forty  feet  beneath. 
Through  the  clear  water  they  could  dimly  see  the 
dark  outline  of  the  summit  below,  and  they  gazed  at 
it  with  wonder,  and  a  sort  of  terror. 

Somehow  they  felt  that  never  before  had  they  fully 
appreciated  the  awful  depths  over  which  they  had 
been  floating.  The  anchor  steadily  dropped  until  it 
rested  on  the  rock. 

It  got  a  hold  finally,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
great  vessel  was  swinging  slowly  round,  held  by  a 
cable  whose  grasp  was  upon  the  top  of  the  world ! 
When  the  sensation  had  been  sufficiently  enjoyed  the 
anchor  was  tripped,  and  the  nose  of  the  Ark  was 
turned  northwestward.  Cosmo  Versal  announced  his 
intention  to  circumnavigate  the  drowned  globe. 

The  news  of  what  they  were  about  to  do  was  both 
welcome  and  saddening  to  the  inmates  of  the  vessel. 
They  wished  to  pass  once  more  over  the  lands  where 
they  had  first  seen  the  light,  and  at  the  same  time 
they  dreaded  the  memories  that  such  a  voyage  would 
inevitably  bring  back  with  overwhelming  force.  But, 
at  any  rate,  it  would  be  better  than  drifting  for  years 
over  Tibet  and  China. 

While  everybody  else  was  discussing  the  prospects 
of  the  new  voyage,  and  wondering  how  long  it  would 
last,  Yves  de  Beauxchamps  was  concentrating  all  his 
attention  upon  a  new  project  which  had  sprung  up 
in  his  active  mind  as  soon  as  Cosmo's  intention  was 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME    353 

announced.  He  took  Cosmo  aside  and  said  to  him : 
"  M.  Versal,  the  dearest  memory  that  I  have  treas 
ured  in  my  heart  is  that  of  the  last  sight  of  my 
drowned  home,  my  beautiful  dead  Paris.  It  may  be 
that  the  home-loving  instincts  of  my  race  arouse  in 
me  a  melancholy  pleasure  over  such  a  sight  which 
would  not  be  shared  by  you,  of  a  different  blood;  but 
if,  perchance,  you  do  share  my  feelings  on  this  sub 
ject  I  believe  that  I  can  promise  you  a  similar  visit 
to  the  great  metropolis  where  your  life  began,  and 
where  you  executed  those  labors  whose  result  has 
been  to  preserve  a  remnant  of  humanity  to  repeople 
the  earth." 

Cosmo  Versal's  quick  intelligence  instantly  compre 
hended  the  Frenchman's  design,  but  it  startled  him, 
and  apparently  insuperable  difficulties  at  once  oc 
curred  to  his  mind. 

"  M.  De  Beauxchamps,"  he  responded,  grasping 
his  friend  warmly  by  the  hand,  "  I  thank  you  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  your  amiable  intention, 
and  I  assure  you  that  nothing  could  afford  me  greater 
satisfaction  than  to  see  once  more  that  mighty  city, 
even  though  it  can  now  be  but  an  awful  ruin,  tenanted 
by  no  life  except  the  terrible  creatures  of  the  deep. 
But,  while  I  foresee  what  your  plan  must  be,  I  can 
hardly  conceive  that  its  execution  could  be  possible. 
You  are  thinking,  of  course,  of  constructing  a  diving 
apparatus  capable  of  penetrating  to  a  depth  of  nearly 
six  miles  in  the  sea.  Setting  aside  the  question 


354  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

whether  we  could  find  in  the  stores  of  the  Ark  the 
materials  that  would  be  needed,  it  appears  to  me 
most  improbable  that  we  could  make  the  apparatus 
of  sufficient  strength  to  withstand  the  pressure,  and 
could  then  cause  it  to  sink  to  so  great  a  depth,  and 
afterward  bring  it  safely  to  the  surface." 

The  Frenchman  smiled. 

"  M.  Versal,"  he  replied,  "  I  have  taken  the  liberty 
to  look  over  the  stock  of  materials  which  you  have 
so  wisely  prepared  for  possible  repairs  to  the  Ark  and 
for  use  after  the  Ark  lands,  and  I  know  that  among 
them  I  can  find  all  that  I  shall  need.  You  yourself 
know  how  completely  you  are  provided  with  en 
gineering  tools  and  machines  of  all  kinds.  You  have 
even  an  electric  foundry  aboard.  With  the  aid  of 
your  mechanical  genius,  and  the  skill  of  your  as 
sistants,  together  with  that  of  my  own  men,  who  are 
accustomed  to  work  of  this  kind,  I  have  not  the  faint 
est  doubt  that  I  can  design  and  construct  a  diving- 
bell,  large  enough  to  contain  a  half-dozen  persons, 
and  perfectly  capable  of  penetrating  to  any  depth. 
Of  course  I  cannot  make  it  of  levium,  but  you  have 
a  sufficient  supply  of  herculeum  steel,  the  strength  of 
which  is  so  immense  that  the  walls  of  the  bell  can  be 
made  to  remit  the  pressure  even  at  a  depth  of  six 
miles.  From  my  previous  experiments  I  am  con 
fident  that  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  sinking  and 
afterward  raising  this  apparatus.  It  is  only  neces 
sary  that  the  mean  specific  gravity  of  the  bell  shall 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME    355 

be  greater  than  that  of  the  water  at  a  given  depth, 
and  you  know  that  as  far  back  as  the  end  of  the  nine 
teenth  century  your  own  countrymen  sent  down  sound 
ing  apparatus  more  than  six  miles  in  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
near  the  island  of  Guam." 

"  But  the  air  inside  the  bell "  Cosmo  began. 

"  Excuse  me,"  interrupted  De  Beauxchamps,  "  but 
that  air  need  be  under  no  greater  pressure  than  at 
the  surface.  I  shall  know  how  to  provide  for  that. 
Remember  the  Jules  Verne.  Simply  give  me  carte 
blanche  in  this  matter,  let  me  have  the  materials  to 
work  with,  afford  me  the  advantage  of  your  advice 
and  assistance  whenever  I  shall  need  them,  and  I 
promise  you  that  by  the  time  we  have  arrived  over 
the  site  of  New  York  we  shall  be  prepared  for  the 
descent." 

Cosmo  was  deeply  impressed  by  the  Frenchman's 
enthusiastic  self-confidence.  He  had  a  great  admira 
tion  for  the  constructor  of  the  Jules  Feme,  and,  be 
sides,  the  proposed  adventure  was  exactly  after  his 
own  heart.  After  meditating  a  while,  he  said 
heartily: 

"  Well,  M.  De  Beauxchamps,  I  give  my  consent. 
Everything  you  wish  shall  be  at  your  disposal,  and 
you  can  begin  as  soon  as  you  choose.  Only,  let  the 
thing  be  kept  a  secret  between  us  and  the  workmen 
who  are  employed.  If  it  should  turn  out  a  failure 
it  would  not  do  that  the  people  in  the  Ark  should  be 
aware  of  it.  I  can  give  you  a  working  room  on  one 


356  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

of  the  lower  decks,  where  there  will  be  no  interference 
with  your  proceedings,  and  no  knowledge  of  what  you 
are  about  can  leak  out." 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  should  wish,"  returned  De 
Beauxchamps,  smiling  with  delight,  "  and  I  renew 
my  promise  that  you  shall  not  be  disappointed." 

So,  without  a  suspicion  of  what  was  going  on  en 
tering  the  minds  of  any  person  in  the  great  company 
outside  the  small  company  of  men  who  were  actually 
employed  in  the  work,  the  construction  of  De  Beaux- 
champs's  great  diving-bell  was  begun,  and  pushed 
with  all  possible  speed,  consistent  with  the  proper 
execution  of  the  work.  In  the  meantime  the  Ark  con 
tinued  its  course  toward  the  west. 

They  ran  slowly,  for  there  was  no  hurry,  and  the 
Ark  had  now  become  to  its  inhabitants  as  a  house  and 
a  home — their  only  foothold  on  the  whole  round 
earth,  and  that  but  a  little  floating  island  of  buoyant 
metal.  They  crossed  the  Pamirs  and  the  Hindu- 
Kush,  the  place  where  the  Caspian  Sea  had  been  swal 
lowed  up  in  the  universal  ocean,  and  ran  over  Ararat, 
which  three  months  before  had  put  them  into  such 
fearful  danger,  but  whose  loftiest  summit  now  lay 
twelve  thousand  feet  beneath  their  keel. 

At  length,  after  many  excursions  toward  the  north 
and  toward  the  south,  in  the  halcyon  weather  that 
had  seldom  failed  since  the  withdrawal  of  the  nebula, 
they  arrived  at  the  place  (or  above  it)  which  had 
stood  during  centuries  for  a  noon-mark  on  the  globe. 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  NEW  SCHEME    357 

It  was  midday  when  Captain  Arms,  having  made 
his  observations,  said  to  Cosmo  and  the  others  on  the 
bridge : 

"  Noon  at  Greenwich,  and  noon  on  the  Ark.  Lati 
tude,  fifty-one  degrees  thirty  minutes.  That  brings 
you  as  nearly  plumb  over  the  place  as  you'd  be  likely 
to  hit  it.  Right  down  there  lies  the  old  observatory 
that  set  the  chronometers  of  the  world,  and  kept  the 
clocks  and  watches  up  to  their  work." 

King  Richard  turned  aside  upon  hearing  the  cap 
tain's  words.  They  brought  a  too  vivid  picture  of 
the  great  capital,  six  miles  under  their  feet,  and  a  too 
poignant  recollection  of  the  disastrous  escape  of  the 
royal  family  from  overwhelmed  London  seven  months 
before. 

As  reckoned  by  the  almanac,  it  was  the  ifth  of 
September,  more  than  sixteen  months  since  Cosmo  had 
sent  out  his  first  warning  to  the  public,  when  the  Ark 
crossed  the  meridian  of  seventy-four  degrees  west,  in 
about  forty-one  degrees  north  latitude,  and  the  ad 
venturers  knew  that  New  York  was  once  more  be 
neath  them. 

There  was  great  emotion  among  both  passengers 
and  crew,  for  the  majority  of  them  had  either  dwelt 
in  New  York  or  been  in  some  way  associated  with  its 
enterprises  and  its  people,  and,  vain  as  must  be  the 
hope  of  seeing  any  relic  of  the  buried  metropolis, 
every  eye  was  on  the  alert. 

They  looked  off  across  the  boundless  sea  in  every 


358  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

direction,  interrogating  every  suspicious  object  on 
the  far  horizon,  and  even  peering  curiously  into  the 
blue  abyss,  as  if  something  might  suddenly  appear 
there  which  would  speak  to  them  like  a  voice  from 
the  past. 

But  they  saw  only  shafts  of  sunlight  running  into 
bottomless  depths,  and  occasionally  some  oceanic  crea 
ture  floating  lazily  far  below.  The  color  of  the  sea 
was  wonderful.  It  had  attracted  their  attention  after 
the  submergence  of  Mount  Everest,  but  at  that  time 
it  had  not  yet  assumed  its  full  splendor. 

At  first,  no  doubt,  there  was  considerable  dissolved 
matter  in  the  water,  but  gradually  this  settled,  and  the 
sea  became  bluer  and  bluer — not  the  deep  indigo  of 
the  old  ocean,  but  a  much  lighter  and  more  brilliant 
hue — and  here,  over  the  site  of  New  York,  the  waters 
were  of  a  bright,  luminous  sapphire,  that  dazzled  the 
eye. 

Cosmo  declared  that  the  change  of  the  sea-color 
was  undoubtedly  due  to  some  quality  in  the  nebula 
from  whose  condensation  the  water  had  been  pro 
duced,  but  neither  his  own  analyses,  nor  those  of  the 
chemists  aboard  the  Ark,  were  able  to  detect  the  subtle 
element  to  whose  presence  the  peculiar  tint  was  due. 

But  whatever  it  may  have  been,  it  imparted  to  the 
ocean  an  ethereal,  imponderous  look,  which  was  some 
times  startling.  There  were  moments  when  they  al 
most  expected  to  see  it  expand  back  into  the  nebulous 
form  and  fly  away. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

NEW  YORK   IN    HER   OCEAN  TOMB 

URING  the  long  voyage  from  the  sunken 
Himalayas  to  still  deeper  sunken  New  York, 
De  Beauxchamps,  with  his  fellow-countrymen  and  the 
skilled  mechanics  assigned  by  Cosmo  Versal  to  aid 
them,  had  finished  the  construction  of  the  huge  diving- 
bell.  No  one  not  in  the  secret  had  the  slightest  idea 
of  what  had  been  done,  owing  to  the  remote  situation 
of  the  deck  on  which  the  construction  was  carried  out. 
Now,  while  a  thousand  pairs  of  eyes  were  inter 
rogating  the  smooth  surface  of  the  sea,  and  striving  to 
penetrate  its  cerulean  depths,  a  great  surprise  was 
sprung  upon  the  passengers.  The  rear  gangway  of 
the  lowest  deck  was  cleared,  a  heavy  crane-like  beam 
was  set  projecting  over  the  water,  and  men  began  to 
rig  a  flexible  cable,  which  had  been  specially  prepared 
for  the  purpose  of  lowering  the  bell  into  the  depths, 
and  of  raising  it  again  when  the  adventurers  should 
wish  to  return  to  the  surface.  Everybody's  attention 
was  immediately  attracted  to  these  strange  prepara 
tions,  and  the  utmost  curiosity  was  aroused.  A  chorus 
of  wondering  exclamations  broke  out  when  a  metallic 
globe,  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  and  polished  until  it 

359 


360  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

shone  like  a  giant  thermometer  bulb,  was  rolled  out 
and  carefully  attached  to  the  cable  by  means  of  a 
strong  ring  set  in  one  side  of  the  bell.  The  excite 
ment  of  the  passengers  would  soon  have  become  un 
controllable  if  Cosmo  had  not  at  this  point  summoned 
the  entire  ship's  company  into  the  great  saloon.  As 
soon  as  all  were  assembled  he  mounted  his  dais  and 
began  to  speak. 

"  My  fellow-citizens  of  the  old  world,  which  has 
perished,  and  of  the  new,  which  is  to  take  its  place," 
he  said,  "  we  owe  to  the  genius  of  M.  De  Beaux- 
champs  an  apparatus  which  is  about  to  enable  us  to 
inspect,  by  an  actual  visit,  the  remains  of  the  vast 
metropolis,  which  we  saw  in  all  its  majesty  and  beauty 
but  so  few  months  ago,  and  which  now  lies  forever 
silent  at  the  bottom  of  this  universal  ocean. 

"  If  it  were  practicable  I  should  wish  to  afford  to 
every  one  of  you  a  farewell  glimpse  of  that  mighty 
city,  to  which  the  hearts  of  so  many  here  are  bound, 
but  you  can  readily  understand  that  that  would  be 
impossible.  Only  six  persons  can  go  in  this  exploring 
bell,  and  they  have  been  chosen;  but  a  faithful  ac 
count  will  be  brought  back  to  you  of  all  that  they 
see  and  learn.  The  adventuring  company  will  consist 
of  M.  De  Beauxchamps,  M.  Pujol,  his  first  assistant, 
Mr.  Amos  Blank,  King  Richard,  Professor  Abel  Able, 
and  myself.  Captain  Arms  has  ascertained  the  loca 
tion  of  the  center  of  Manhattan  Island,  over  which 
we  are  now  floating.  The  quietness  of  the  sea,  the 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  361 

absence  of  any  apparent  current,  and  the  serenity  of 
the  heavens  are  favoring  circumstances,  which  may 
be  relied  upon  to  enable  Captain  Arms  to  keep  the 
Ark  constantly  poised  almost  precisely  over  our  point 
of  descent.  It  is  not  possible  to  predict  the  exact 
duration  of  our  absence  in  the  depths,  but  it  will  not, 
in  any  case,  exceed  about  twenty  hours. 

"  Once  arrived  at  the  bottom,  nearly  six  miles 
down,  we  shall  attach  the  cable  to  some  secure  an 
chorage,  by  means  of  a  radio-control,  operated  from 
within  the  bell,  and  then,  with  the  bell  free,  we  shall 
make  explorations,  as  extensive  as  possible.  The 
radio-control  of  which  I  have  spoken  governs  also  the 
attachment  of  the  cable  to  the  bell.  This  appliance 
has  been  prepared  and  tested  with  such  care  that  we 
have  no  doubt  of  its  entire  efficiency.  I  mention  these 
things  in  order  to  remove  from  your  minds  any  fear 
as  to  the  success  of  our  enterprise. 

"  The  bell  being  once  detached,  we  shall  be  able 
to  move  it  from  point  to  point  by  means  of  a  pair 
of  small  propellers,  which  you  will  perceive  on  the 
outside  of  the  bell,  and  which  are  also  controlled  from 
within.  These  will  be  used  to  increase  our  speed  of 
descent.  From  a  calculation  of  the  density  of  the 
sea-water  at  the  depth  to  which  we  shall  descend, 
we  estimate  that  the  bell  with  its  contents  will  press 
upon  the  bottom  with  a  gravitational  force  of  only 
five  pounds,  so  that  it  will  move  with  very  slight  ef 
fort,  and  may  even,  when  in  motion,  float  like  a  fish. 


362  iTHE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  For  the  purposes  of  observation  we  have  pro 
vided,  on  four  sides  of  the  bell,  a  series  of  circular 
windows,  with  glass  of  immense  thickness  and 
strength,  but  of  extraordinary  transparency.  Through 
these  windows  we  shall  be  able  to  see  in  almost  all 
directions.  It  was  our  intention  to  provide  wireless 
telephone  apparatus  with  which  we  might  have  kept 
you  informed  of  all  our  doings  and  discoveries,  but 
unfortunately  we  have  found  it  impracticable  to  util 
ize  our  control  for  that  purpose.  We  shall,  however, 
be  able  to  send  and  receive  signals  as  long  as  we  are 
connected  with  the  cable. 

"  I  should  add  that  the  construction  of  the  bell, 
although  suggested  by  M.  De  Beauxchamps  immedi 
ately  after  our  departure  from  Mount  Everest,  has 
been  carried  on  in  secret  simply  because  we  did  not 
wish  to  subject  you  to  the  immense  disappointment 
which  you  would  certainly  have  experienced  if  this 
brilliant  conception  of  our  gifted  friend,  after  being 
once  made  known  to  you,  had  proved  to  be  a  failure. 
Our  preparations  have  all  been  made,  and  within  an 
hour  we  shall  begin  the  descent." 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  describe  the  excitement  of 
the  passengers  while  they  lisened  to  this  extraordinary 
communication.  When  Cosmo  Versal  had  finished 
speaking  he  stood  for  some  minutes  looking  at  his 
audience  with  a  triumphant  smile.  First  a  murmur 
of  excited  voices  arose,  and  then  somebody  proposed 
three  cheers,  which  were  given  and  repeated  until 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  363 

the  levium  dome  rang  with  the  reverberations.  No 
body  knew  exactly  why  he  was  cheering,  but  the  in 
fectious  enthusiasm  carried  everything  before  it. 
Then  the  crowd  began  to  ask  questions,  addressed 
not  to  Cosmo  but  to  one  another.  The  wildest  sug 
gestions  were  made.  One  woman  who  had  left  some 
treasured  heirlooms  in  a  Fifth  Avenue  mansion  de 
manded  of  her  husband  that  he  should  commission 
Cosmo  Versal  to  recover  them. 

"  I'm  sure  they're  there,"  she  insisted.  "  They 
were  locked  in  the  safe." 

"  But,  don't  you  see,"  protested  the  poor  man,  "  he 
can't  get  outside  of  that  bell  to  get  'em." 

"  I  don't  see  why  he  can't,  if  he  should  really  try. 
I  think  it's  too  mean  !  They  were  my  grandmother's 
jewels." 

"  But,  my  dear,  how  could  he  get  out?  " 

"  Well,  how  does  he  get  in?  What's  his  radio- 
control  good  for;  won't  that  help  him?  What  is  he 
going  down  there  for  if  he  can't  do  a  little  thing  like 
that,  to  oblige?" 

She  pouted  at  her  husband  because  he  persistently 
refused  to  present  her  request  to  Cosmo,  and  declared 
that  she  would  do  it  herself,  then,  for  she  must  have 
those  jewels,  now  that  they  were  so  near. 

But  Cosmo  was  saved  from  this,  and  other  equally 
unreasonable  demands,  by  a  warning  from  De  Beaux- 
champs  that  all  was  ready,  and  that  no  time  should 
be  lost.  Then  everybody  hastened  out  on  the  decks 


364  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

to  watch  the  departure  of  the  adventurers.  Many 
thoughtfully  shook  their  heads,  predicting  that  they 
would  never  be  seen  again.  As  soon  as  this  feeling 
began  to  prevail  the  enthusiasm  quickly  evaporated, 
and  efforts  were  made  to  dissuade  Cosmo  and  De 
Beauxchamps  from  making  the  attempt.  But  they 
were  deaf  to  all  remonstrance,  and  pushing  out  of  the 
chattering  crowd,  Cosmo  ordered  the  gangway  about 
the  bell  to  be  cleared  of  all  bystanders.  The  opposi 
tion  heated  his  blood  a  little,  and  he  began  to  bear 
himself  with  an  air  which  recalled  his  aspect  when 
he  quelled  and  punished  the  mutiny.  This  was 
enough  to  silence  instantly  every  objector  to  his  pro 
ceedings.  Henceforth  they  kept  their  thoughts  to 
themselves,  although  some  muttered,  under  their 
breath  such  epithets  as  "  fool  "  and  "  harebrain." 

In  about  half  an  hour  after  Cosmo's  speech  the  bell, 
with  its  hardy  explorers  safely  inclosed  within,  was 
lowered  away,  and  a  minute  later  hundreds  were 
craning  their  necks  over  the  rails  to  watch  the  shining 
globe  engulf  itself  swiftly  in  the  sapphire  depths.  It 
was  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  de 
scent  was  begun,  and  for  a  long  time,  so  remarkable 
was  the  transparency  of  the  water,  they  could  see  the 
bell  sinking,  and  becoming  smaller  until  it  resembled 
a  blue  pearl.  Sometimes  a  metallic  flash  shot  from 
its  polished  sides  like  a  gleam  of  violet  lightning. 
But  at  length  it  passed  from  view,  swallowed  up  in  the 
tremendous  watery  chasm. 


. 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  365 

We  turn  now  to  trace  the  adventures  of  the  bell  and 
its  inmates  as  they  entered  the  awful  twilight  of  the 
ocean,  and,  sinking  deeper,  passed  gradually  into  a 
profundity  which  the  sun's  most  powerful  rays  were 
unable  to  penetrate.  Fortunately  every  one  of  the 
adventurers  left  a  description  of  his  experiences  and 
sensations,  so  that  there  is  no  lack  of  authentic  in 
formation  to  guide  us. 

The  windows,  as  Cosmo  had  said,  were  so  arranged 
that  they  afforded  views  on  all  sides.  These  views 
were,  of  course,  restricted  by  the  combined  effects  of 
the  smallness  of  the  windows  and  their  great  thick 
ness  ;  the  inmates  were  somewhat  like  prisoners  look 
ing  out  of  round  ports  cut  through  massive  walls,  but 
the  range  of  view  was  much  widened  when  they  placed 
themselves  close  to  the  glasses,  because  the  latter  were 
in  the  form  of  truncated  cones  with  the  base  outward. 

Glancing  through  the  ports  on  the  upper  side  of 
the  bell  Cosmo  and  his  companions  could  perceive  the 
huge  form  of  the  Ark,  hanging  like  a  cloud  above 
them,  but  rapidly  receding,  while  from  the  side  ports 
they  saw  great  shafts  of  azure  sunlight,  thrown 
into  wonderful  undulations  by  the  disturbance  of  the 
water.  These  soon  became  fainter  and  gradually  dis 
appeared,  but  before  the  gloom  of  the  depths  settled 
about  them  they  were  thrilled  by  the  spectacle  of 
sharks  and  other  huge  fishes  nosing  about  the  outer 
side  of  the  transparent  cones,  and  sometimes  opening 
their  jaws  as  if  trying  to  seize  them.  Most  of  the 


366  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

cone-shaped  windows  had  flat  surfaces,  but  a  few  were 
of  spherical  outline  both  without  and  within,  and  the 
radius  of  curvature  had  been  so  calculated  that  these 
particular  windows  served  as  huge  magnifying  lenses 
for  an  eye  placed  at  a  given  distance.  Once  or  twice 
a  marine  monster  happened  to  place  himself  in  the 
field  of  one  of  these  magnifying  windows,  startling 
the  observers  almost  out  of  their  senses  with  his  fright 
ful  appearance. 

There  were  also  four  windows  reserved  for  project 
ing  a  searchlight  into  the  outer  darkness.  The  inner 
side  of  the  bell  corresponded  in  curvature  with  the 
outer,  so  that  the  adventurers  had  no  flat  flooring  on 
any  side  to  stand  upon,  but  this  caused  little  incon 
venience,  since  the  walls  were  abundantly  provided 
with  hand  and  foot  holds,  enabling  the  inmates  to 
maintain  themselves  in  almost  any  position  they  could 
wish. 

After  a  while  they  passed  below  the  range  of  day 
light,  and  then  they  turned  on  the  searchlight.  The 
storage  batteries  which  supplied  energy  for  the 
searchlight  and  the  propellers  served  also  to  operate 
an  apparatus  for  clearing  the  air  of  carbonic  acid, 
and  De  Beauxchamps  had  carefully  calculated  the 
limit  of  time  that  the  air  could  be  kept  in  a  breathable 
condition.  This  did  not  exceed  forty-eight  hours— 
but  as  we  have  seen  they  had  no  intention  of  re 
maining  under  water  longer  than  twenty  hours  at  the 
utmost. 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  367 

When  the  bell  entered  the  night  of  the  sea-depths 
they  passed  into  an  apparently  lifeless  zone,  where 
the  searchlight,  projected  now  on  one  side  and  now 
on  another,  revealed  no  more  of  the  living  forms 
which  they  had  encountered  above,  but  showed  only 
a  desert  of  solid  transparent  water.  Here,  amid  this 
awful  isolation,  they  experienced  for  the  first  time 
a  feeling  of  dread  and  terror.  An  overpowering  sense 
of  loneliness  and  helplessness  came  over  them,  and 
only  the  stout  heart  of  Cosmo  Versal,  and  his  reas 
suring  words,  kept  the  others  from  making  the  signal 
which  would  have  caused  the  bell  to  be  hastily  drawn 
back  to  the  Ark. 

"  M.  De  Beauxchamps,"  said  Cosmo,  breaking  the 
impressive  silence,  "  to  what  depth  have  we  now  de 
scended?  " 

"  A  thousand  fathoms,"  replied  the  Frenchman, 
consulting  his  automatic  register. 

"Good!  We  have  been  only  thirty  minutes  in 
reaching  this  depth.  We  shall  sink  more  slowly  as 
we  get  deeper,  but  I  think  we  can  count  upon  reach 
ing  the  bottom  in  not  more  than  four  hours  from  the 
moment  of  our  departure.  It  will  require  only  two 
hours  for  them  to  draw  us  back  again  with  the  power 
ful  engines  of  the  Ark,  especially  when  aided  by  our 
propellers.  This  will  leave  fourteen  hours  for  our 
explorations,  if  we  stay  out  the  limit  that  we  have 
fixed." 

There  was  such  an  air  of  confidence  in  Cosmo's 


368  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

manner  and  words  that  this  simple  statement  did  much 
to  enhearten  the  others. 

'  The  absence  of  life  in  this  part  of  the  sea," 
Cosmo  continued  cheerfully,  "  does  not  surprise  me. 
It  has  long  been  known  that  the  life  of  the  ocean  is 
confined  to  regions  near  the  surface  and  the  bottom. 
We  shall  certaintly  find  plenty  of  wonderful  crea 
tures  below." 

When  they  knew  that  they  must  be  near  the  bot 
tom  they  turned  the  light  downward,  and  every  avail 
able  window  was  occupied  by  an  eager  watcher.  Pres 
ently  a  cry  of  "Look!  Look  there!"  broke  from 
several  voices  at  once. 

The  searchlight,  penetrating  far  through  the  clear 
water  beneath  the  bell,  fell  in  a  circle  round  a  most 
remarkable  object — tall,  gaunt,  and  spectral,  with 
huge  black  ribs. 

;'  Why,  it's  the  Metropolitan  tower,  still  stand 
ing!  "  cried  Amos  Blank.  "Who  would  have  be 
lieved  it  possible?  " 

"  No  doubt  there  was  some  lucky  circumstance 
about  its  anchorage,"  returned  Cosmo.  "  Although 
it  was  built  so  long  ago,  it  was  made  immensely 
strong,  and  well  braced,  and  as  the  water  did  not 
undermine  it  at  the  start,  it  has  been  favored  by  the 
very  density  of  that  which  now  surrounds  it,  and 
which  tends  to  buoy  it  up  and  hold  it  steady.  But 
you  observe  that  it  has  been  stripped  of  the  covering 
of  stone." 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  369 

"  Would  it  not  be  well  to  utilize  it  for  anchoring 
the  cable?  "  asked  De  Beauxchamps. 

"  We  could  have  nothing  better,"  said  Cosmo. 

De  Beauxchamps  immediately  called  to  the  Ark, 
and  directed  the  movements  of  those  in  charge  of  the 
drum  of  the  cable  so  nicely  that  the  descent  ceased 
at  the  exact  moment  when  the  bell  came  to  rest  upon 
a  group  of  beams  at  the  top  of  the  tower.  The  radio- 
control,  which  is  so  familiar  in  its  thousand  applica 
tions  to-day,  was  then  a  new  thing,  having  been  in 
vented  only  a  year  or  so  before  the  deluge,  and  De 
Beauxchamps's  form  of  the  apparatus  was  crude. 
The  underlying  principle,  however,  was  the  same  as 
that  now  employed — transmission  through  a  metallic 
wall  of  impulses  capable  of  being  turned  into  me 
chanic  energy.  With  its  aid  they  had  no  difficulty  in 
detaching  the  cable  from  the  bell,  but  it  required 
some  careful  maneuvering  to  secure  a  satisfactory  at 
tachment  to  the  beams  of  the  tower.  At  last,  how 
ever,  this  was  effected,  and  immediately  they  set  out 
for  their  exploration  of  drowned  New  York. 

They  began  with  the  skeleton  tower  itself,  which 
had  only  once  or  twice  been  exceeded  in  height  by  the 
famous  structures  of  the  era  of  skyscrapers.  In  some 
places  they  found  the  granite  skin  yet  in  situ,  but  al 
most  everywhere  it  had  been  stripped  off,  probably 
by  the  tremendous  waves  which  swept  over  it  as  the 
flood  attained  its  first  thousand  feet  of  elevation. 
They  saw  no  living  forms,  except  a  few  curiously 


370  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

shaped  phosphorescent  creatures  of  no  great  size, 
which  scurried  away  out  of  the  beam  of  the  search 
light.  They  saw  no  trace  of  the  millions  of  their 
fellow-beings  who  had  been  swallowed  up  in  this 
vast  grave,  and  for  this  all  secretly  gave  thanks.  The 
soil  of  Madison  Square  had  evidently  been  washed 
away,  for  no  signs  of  the  trees  which  had  once  shaded 
it  were  seen,  and  a  reddish  ooze  had  begun  to  collect 
upon  the  exposed  rocks.  All  around  were  the  shat 
tered  ruins  of  other  great  buildings,  some,  like  the 
Metropolitan  tower,  yet  retaining  their  steel  skeletons, 
others  tumbled  down,  and  lying  half-buried  in  the 
ooze. 

Finding  nothing  of  great  interest  in  this  neighbor 
hood  they  turned  the  course  of  the  bell  northward, 
passing  everywhere  over  interminable  ruins,  and  as 
soon  as  they  began  to  skirt  the  ridge  of  Morningside 
Heights  the  huge  form  of  the  cathedral  of  St.  John 
fell  within  the  circle  of  projected  light.  It  was  un 
roofed,  and  some  of  the  walls  had  fallen,  but  some 
of  the  immense  arches  yet  retained  their  upright  posi 
tion.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  they  encountered  the 
real  giants  of  the  submarine  depths.  De  Beaux- 
champs,  who  had  seen  some  of  these  creatures  during 
his  visit  to  Paris  in  the  Jules  Feme,  declared  that 
nothing  which  he  had  seen  there  was  so  terrifying  as 
what  they  now  beheld.  One  creature,  which  seemed 
to  be  the  unresisted  master  of  this  kingdom  of  phos 
phorescent  life,  appears  to  have  exceeded  in  strange- 


AND   THEN   THEY    FLOATED    NEAR    THE    MONCMEN 
TOMB    OF    GENERAL    GRANT" 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  371 

ness  the  utmost  descriptive  powers  of  all  those  who 
looked  upon  it,  for  their  written  accounts  are  filled 
with  ejaculations,  and  are  more  or  less  inconsistent 
with  one  another.  The  reader  gathers  from  them, 
however,  the  general  impression  that  it  made  upon 
their  astonished  minds. 

The  creatures  were  of  a  livid  hue,  and  had  the 
form  of  a  globe,  as  large  as  the  bell  itself,  with  a 
valvular  opening  on  one  side  which  was  evidently  a 
mouth,  surrounded  with  a  circle  of  eyelike  disks,  pro 
jecting  shafts  of  self-evolved  light  into  the  water. 
They  moved  about  with  surprising  ease,  rising  and 
sinking  at  will,  sometimes  rolling  along  the  curve  of 
an  arch,  emitting  flashes  of  green  fire,  and  occasion 
ally  darting  across  the  intervening  spaces  in  pursuit 
of  their  prey,  which  consisted  of  smaller  prosphores- 
cent  animals  that  fled  in  the  utmost  consternation. 
When  the  adventurers  in  the  bell  saw  one  of  the 
globular  monsters  seize  its  victim  they  were  filled  with 
horror.  It  had  driven  its  prey  into  a  corner  of  the 
wrecked  choir,  and  suddenly  it  flattened  itself  like  a 
rubber  bulb  pressed  against  the  wall,  completely  cov 
ering  the  creature  that  was  to  be  devoured,  although 
the  effect  of  its  struggles  could  be  perceived;  and 
then,  to  the  amazement  of  the  onlookers,  the  living 
globe  slowly  turned  itself  inside  out,  engulfing  the 
victim  in  the  process. 

"  Great  heavens,"  exclaimed  Professor  Abel  Able, 
"  it  is  a  gigantic  hydroid  polyps!  That  is  precisely 


372  .THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

the  way  in  which  those  little  creatures  swallow  their 
prey;  outside  becomes  inside,  what  was  the  surface 
of  the  body  is  turned  into  the  lining  of  the  digestive 
cavity,  and  every  time  they  take  a  meal  the  process  of 
introversion  is  repeated.  This  monster  is  nothing  but 
a  huge  self-sustaining  maw !  " 

"  Tres  bien,"  exclaimed  De  Beauxchamps,  with  a 
slight  laugh,  "  and  he  finds  himself  in  New  York, 
quite  chez  soi." 

Nobody  appeared  to  notice  the  sarcasm,  and,  in 
any  case  they  would  quickly  have  forgotten  it,  for 
no  sooner  had  the  tragic  spectacle  which  they  had 
witnessed  been  finished  than  they  suddenly  found  the 
bell  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  the  globe-shaped  crea 
tures,  jostling  one  another,  and  flattening  themselves 
against  its  metallic  walls.  They  pushed  the  bell  about, 
rolling  themselves  all  over  it,  and  apparently  finding 
nothing  terrifying  in  the  searchlight,  which  was 
hardly  brighter  than  the  phosphorescent  gleams  which 
shot  from  their  own  luminescent  organs.  One  of 
them  got  one  of  its  luminous  disks  exactly  in  the  field 
of  a  magnifying  window,  and  King  Richard,  who 
happened  to  have  his  eye  in  the  focus,  started  back 
with  a  cry  of  alarm. 

"  I  cannot  describe  what  I  saw,"  the  king  wrote 
in  his  notebook.  "  It  was  a  glimpse  of  fiery  cones, 
triangles,  and  circles,  ranged  in  tier  behind  tier  with 
a  piercing  eye  in  the  center,  and  the  light  that  came 
from  them  resembled  nothing  that  I  have  ever  seen. 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  373 

It  seemed  to  be  a  living  emanation,  and  almost 
paralyzed  me." 

"  We  must  get  away  from  them,"  cried  De  Beaux- 
champs,  as  soon  as  the  first  overwhelming  effect  of 
the  attack  upon  the  bell  had  passed.  And  immedi 
ately  he  set  the  propellers  at  their  highest  speed. 

The  bell  shook  and  half  rolled  over,  there  was  a 
scurrying  among  the  monsters  outside,  and  two  or 
three  of  them  floated  away  partly  in  collapse,  as  if 
they  had  been  seriously  wounded  by  the  short  pro 
peller  blades. 

The  direction  of  flight  chanced  to  carry  them  past 
the  dome  of  the  Columbia  University  Library,  which 
was  standing  almost  intact,  and  then  they  floated  near 
the  monumental  tomb  of  General  Grant,  which  had 
crowned  a  noble  elevation  overlooking  the  Hudson 
River.  A  portion  of  the  upper  part  of  this  structure 
had  been  carried  away,  but  the  larger  part  remained 
in  position.  They  saw  no  more  of  the  globular  crea 
tures  which  had  haunted  the  ruins  of  the  cathedral, 
but,  instead,  there  appeared  around  the  bell  an  im 
mense  multitude  of  small  luminescent  animals,  many 
of  them  most  beautifully  formed,  and  emitting  from 
their  light-producing  organs  various  exquisite  colors 
which  turned  the  surrounding  water  into  an  all-em 
bracing  rainbow. 

But  a  more  marvelous  phenomenon  quickly  made 
its  appearance,  causing  them  to  gasp  with  astonish 
ment.  As  they  drew  near  the  dismantled  dome  a 


374  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

brilliant  gleam  suddenly  streamed  into  the  ports  on 
the  side  turned  toward  the  monument — a  gush  of 
light  so  bright  that  the  air  inside  the  bell  seemed  to 
have  been  illuminated  with  a  golden  sunrise.  They 
glanced  toward  the  monument,  and  saw  that  it  was 
surmounted  by  some  vibrating  object  which  seemed 
instinct  with  blinding  fire.  The  colors  that  sprang 
from  it  changed  rapidly  from  gold  to  purple,  and 
then,  through  shimmering  hues  of  bronze,  to  a  deep 
rich  orange.  It  looked  like  a  sun,  poised  on  the 
horizon.  The  spectacle  was  so  dazzling,  so  unex 
pected,  so  beautiful,  and,  associated  with  the  archi 
tectural  memorial  of  one  of  the  greatest  characters  in 
American  history,  so  strangely  suggestive,  that  even 
King  Richard  and  the  two  Frenchmen  were  strongly 
moved,  while  Cosmo  and  his  fellow-countrymen 
grasped  each  other  by  the  hand,  and  the  former  said, 
in  solemn  tones : 

"  My  friends,  to  my  mind,  this  scene,  however 
accidental,  has  something  of  prophecy  about  it.  It 
changes  the  current  of  my  thought — America  is  not 
dead;  in  some  way  she  yet  survives  upon  the  earth." 

Long  they  gazed  and  wondered,  but  at  last,  partly 
recovering  from  their  astonishment,  at  the  suggestion 
of  De  Beauxchamps,  they  drew  nearer  the  monu 
ment.  But  when  they  had  arrived  within  a  few  yards 
of  it,  the  blinding  light  disappeared  as  if  snuffed  out, 
and  they  saw  nothing  but  the  broken  gray  walls  of 
the  dome.  The  moving  object,  which  had  been  dimly 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  375 

visible  at  the  beginning,  and  had  evidently  been  the 
source  of  the  light,  had  vanished. 

"  The  creature  that  produced  the  illumination," 
said  Professor  Abel  Able,  "  has  been  alarmed  by  our 
approach,  and  has  withdrawn  into  the  interior." 

This  was,  no  doubt,  the  true  explanation,  but  they 
could  perceive  no  signs  of  life  about  the  place,  and 
they  finally  turned  away  from  it  with  strange  sensa 
tions. 

Avoiding  the  neighborhood  of  the  cathedral,  they 
steered  the  bell  down  the  former  course  of  the  Hud 
son,  but  afterward  ventured  once  more  over  the 
drowned  city  until  they  arrived  at  the  site  of  the  great 
station  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  which  they 
found  completely  unroofed.  They  sank  the  bell  into 
the  vast  space  where  the  tunnels  entered  from  under 
neath  the  old  river  bed,  and  again  they  had  a  startling 
experience.  Something  huge,  elongated,  and  spotted, 
and  provided  with  expanding  claw-like  limbs,  slowly 
withdrew  as  their  light  streamed  upon  the  reddish 
ooze  covering  the  great  floor.  The  nondescript  re 
treated  backward  into  the  mouth  of  a  tunnel.  They 
endeavored,  cautiously,  to  follow  it,  turning  a  magni 
fying  window  in  its  direction,  and  obtaining  a  startling 
view  of  glaring  eyes,  but  the  creature  hastened  its 
retreat,  and  the  last  glimpse  they  had  was  of  a  gro 
tesque  head,  which  threw  out  piercing  rays  of  green 
fire  as  it  passed  deeper  into  the  tunnel. 

"  This  is  too  terrrible,"  exclaimed  King  Richard, 


376  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

shuddering.  "  In  Heaven's  name,  let  us  go  no  far 
ther." 

"  We  must  visit  Wall  Street,"  said  Amos  Blank. 
"  We  must  see  what  the  former  financial  center  of  the 
world  now  looks  like." 

Accordingly  they  issued  from  the  ruined  station, 
and,  resuming  their  course  southward,  arrived  at 
length  over  the  great  money  center.  The  tall  build 
ings  which  had  shouldered  each  other  in  that  wonder 
ful  district,  turning  the  streets  into  immense  gorges, 
had,  to  a  certain  extent,  protected  one  another  against 
the  effects  of  the  waves,  and  the  skeletons  of  many 
were  yet  standing.  In  the  midst  of  them  the  dark 
spire  of  old  Trinity  still  pointed  stoutly  upward,  as 
if  continuing  its  hopeless  struggle  against  the  spirit 
of  worldly  grandeur  whose  aspiring  creations,  though 
in  ruins,  yet  dwarfed  this  symbol  of  immortality.  At 
the  intersection  of  the  Wall  and  Broad  Street  canons 
they  found  an  enormous  steel  edifice,  which  had  been 
completed  a  short  time  before  the  deluge,  tumbled 
in  ruins  upon  the  classic  form  of  the  old  Stock  Ex 
change,  the  main  features  of  whose  front  were  yet 
recognizable.  The  weight  of  the  fallen  building  had 
been  so  great  that  it  had  crushed  the  roof  of  the  treas 
ure  vaults  which  had  occupied  its  ground  floor,  and 
the  fragments  of  safes  with  their  contents  had  been 
hurled  over  the  northern  expanse  of  Broad  Street. 
The  red  ooze  had  covered  most  of  the  wasted  wealth 
there  heaped  up,  but  in  places  piles  of  gold  showed 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  377 

through  the  covering.  Amos  Blank  became  greatly 
excited  at  this.  His  old  proclivities  seemed  to  resume 
their  sway  and  his  former  madness  to  return,  and  he 
buried  his  finger  nails  in  his  clenched  palms  as  he 
pressed  his  face  against  a  window,  exclaiming: 

"  My  gold!  MY  GOLD  !  Let  me  out  of  this !  I 
must  have  it!  " 

"  Nobody  can  get  out  of  the  bell,  Mr.  Blank," 
said  Cosmo  soothingly.  "  And  the  gold  is  now  of  no 
use  to  anybody." 

"  I  tell  you,"  cried  Blank,  "  that  that  is  my  gold. 
It  comes  from  my  vaults,  and  I  must  get  out!  "  And 
he  dashed  his  fists  wildly  against  the  glass  until  his 
knuckles  were  covered  with  blood.  Then  he  sought 
about  for  some  implement  with  which  to  break  the 
glass.  They  were  compelled  to  seize  him,  and  a 
dreadful  struggle  followed  in  the  restricted  space 
within  the  bell.  In  the  midst  of  it  Blank's  face  be 
came  set,  and  his  eyes  stared  wildly  out  of  a  window. 

The  others  followed  the  direction  of  his  gaze,  and 
they  were  almost  frozen  into  statues.  Close  beside 
the  bell,  which  had,  during  the  struggle,  floated  near 
to  the  principal  heap  of  mingled  treasure  and  ruin, 
heavily  squatted  on  the  very  summit  of  the  pile,  was 
such  a  creature  as  no  words  could  depict — of  a  ghastly 
color,  bulky  and  malformed,  furnished  with  three 
burning  eyes  that  turned  now  green,  now  red  with 
lambent  flame,  and  great  shapeless  limbs,  which  it 
uplifted  one  after  the  other,  striking  awkward,  paw- 


378  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

ing  blows  at  the  bell!  It  seemed  to  the  horrified  on 
lookers  to  be  the  very  demon  of  greed  defending  its 
spoil.  Blank  sank  helpless  on  the  bottom  side  of  the 
bell,  and  the  others  remained  for  a  time  petrified,  and 
unable  to  speak.  Suddenly  the  dreadful  creature, 
making  a  forward  lunge  from  its  perch,  struck  the 
bell  a  mighty  blow  that  sent  it  spinning  in  a  partly 
upward  direction.  The  inmates  were  tumbled  over 
one  another,  bruised  and  cut  by  the  projections  that 
served  for  hand  and  foot  holds.  So  great  had  been 
the  impact  of  the  blow  that  the  bell  continued  to  re 
volve  for  several  minutes,  and  they  could  do  nothing 
to  help  themselves,  except  to  seize  the  holds  as  they 
came  within  their  grasp,  and  hang  on  for  dear  life. 
The  violent  shaking  up  roused  Blank  from  his  trance, 
and  he  hung  on  desperately  with  the  others. 

After  a  while  the  bell  ceased  to  spin,  and  began 
to  sink  again  toward  the  bottom.  De  Beauxchamps, 
who  had  recovered  some  degree  of  self-command,  in 
stantly  began  to  operate  the  control  governing  the 
propellers,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  had  the  bell  mov 
ing  in  a  fixed  direction. 

"  This  way,  this  way,"  cried  Cosmo,  glancing  out 
of  the  windows  to  orient  himself.  '  We  have  seen 
enough !  We  must  get  back  to  the  cable,  and  return 
to  the  Ark!" 

They  were  terror-stricken  now,  and  pushing  the 
propellers  to  their  utmost,  they  fled  toward  the  site 
of  the  Metropolitan  tower.  On  their  way,  although 


NEW  YORK  IN  HER  OCEAN  TOMB  379 

for  a  time  they  passed  over  the  course  of  the  East 
River,  they  saw  no  signs  of  the  great  bridges  except 
the  partly  demolished  but  yet  beautiful  towers  of  the 
oldest  of  them,  which  had  been  constructed  of  heavy 
granite  blocks.  They  found  the  cable  attached  as  they 
had  left  it,  and,  although  they  were  yet  nervous  from 
their  recent  experience,  they  had  no  great  difficulty 
in  re-attaching  it  to  the  bell.  Then,  with  a  sigh  of 
relief,  they  signaled,  and  shouted  through  the  tele 
phone  to  the  Ark. 

But  no  answer  came,  and  there  was  no  responsive 
movement  of  the  cable !  They  signaled  and  called 
again,  but  without  result. 

"My  God!"  said  Cosmo,  in  a  faltering  voice. 
"  Can  anything  have  happened  to  the  cable?  " 

They  looked  at  each  other  with  blanched  cheeks, 
and  no  man  found  a  word  to  reply. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

NEW   AMERICA 

'  I  VHERE  had  been  great  excitement  on  the  Ark 
when  the  first  communication  from  the  bell  was 
received,  announcing  the  arrival  of  the  adventurers  at 
the  Metropolitan  tower.  The  news  spread  every 
where  in  a  few  seconds,  and  the  man  in  charge  of  the 
signaling  apparatus  and  telephone  would  have  been 
mobbed  if  Captain  Arms  had  not  rigorously  shut  off 
all  communication  with  him,  compelling  the  eager  in 
quirers  to  be  content  with  such  information  as  he 
himself  saw  fit  to  give  them.  When  the  announce 
ment  was  made  that  the  bell  had  been  cut  loose,  and 
the  exploration  begun,  the  excitement  was  intensified, 
and  a  Babel  of  voices  resounded  all  over  the  great 
ship. 

As  hour  after  hour  passed  with  no  further  com 
munication  from  below  the  anxiety  of  the  multitude 
became  almost  unbearable.  Some  declared  that  the  ad 
venturers  would  never  be  able  to  re-attach  the  bell  to 
the  cable,  and  the  fear  rapidly  spread  that  they  would 
never  be  seen  again.  Captain  Arms  strove  in  vain 
to  reassure  the  excited  passengers,  but  they  grew 
every  moment  more  demoralized,  and  he  was  nearly 

380 


NEW  AMERICA  381 

driven  out  of  his  senses  by  the  insistent  questioning 
to  which  he  was  subjected.  It  was  almost  a  relief  to 
him  when  the  lookout  announced  an  impending 
change  of  weather — although  he  well  new  the  peril 
which  such  a  change  might  bring. 

It  came  on  more  rapidly  than  anybody  could  have 
anticipated.  The  sky,  in  the  middle  of  the  after 
noon,  became  clouded,  the  sun  was  quickly  hidden, 
and  a  cold  blast  arose,  quickly  strengthening  into  a 
regular  blow.  The  Ark  began  to  drift  as  the  ricing 
waves  assailed  its  vast  flanks. 

"  Pay  out  the  cable ! "  roared  Captain  Arms 
through  his  trumpet. 

If  he  had  not  been  instantly  obeyed  it  is  probable 
that  the  cable  would  have  been  dragged  from  its 
precarious  fastening  below.  Then  he  instantly  set  the 
engines  at  work,  and  strove  to  turn  the  Ark  so  as  to 
keep  it  near  the  point  of  descent.  At  first  they  suc 
ceeded  very  well,  but  the  captain  knew  that  the  wind 
was  swiftly  increasing  in  force,  and  that  he  could  not 
long  continue  to  hold  his  place.  It  was  a  terrible 
emergency,  but  he  proved  himself  equal  to  it. 

"  We  must  float  the  cable,"  he  shouted  to  his  first 
assistant.  "  Over  with  the  big  buoy." 

This  buoy  of  levium  had  been  prepared  for  other 
possible  emergencies.  It  was  flat,  presenting  little 
surface  to  the  wind,  and  when,  working  with  fever 
ish  speed,  aided  by  an  electric  launch,  they  had  at 
tached  the  cable  to  it,  it  sank  so  low  that  its  place 


382  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

on  the  sea  was  indicated  only  by  the  short  mast, 
capped  with  a  streamer,  which  rose  above  it. 

When  this  work  was  completed  a  sigh  of  relief 
whistled  through  Captain  Arms's  huge  whiskers. 

"May  Davy  Jones  hold  that  cable  tight!"  he 
exclaimed.  "  Now  for  navigating  the  Ark.  If  I  had 
my  old  Maria  Jane  under  my  feet  I'd  defy  Boreas 
himself  to  blow  me  away  from  here — but  this 
whale !  " 

The  wind  increased  fast,  and  in  spite  of  every  effort 
the  Ark  was  driven  farther  and  farther  toward  the 
southwest,  until  the  captain's  telescope  no  longer 
showed  the  least  glimpse  of  the  streamer  on  the  buoy. 
Then  night  came  on,  and  yet  the  wind  continued  to 
blow.  The  captain  compelled  all  the  passengers  to  go 
to  their  rooms.  It  would  be  useless  to  undertake  to 
describe  the  terror  and  despair  of  that  night.  When 
the  sun  rose  again  the  captain  found  that  they  had 
been  driven  seventy-five  miles  from  the  site  of  New 
York,  and  yet,  although  the  sky  had  now  partly 
cleared,  the  violence  of  the  wind  had  not  diminished. 

Captain  Arms  had  the  passengers'  breakfast  served 
in  their  rooms,  simply  sending  them  word  that  all 
would  be  well  in  the  end.  But  in  his  secret  heart  he 
doubted  if  he  could  find  the  buoy  again.  He  feared 
that  it  would  be  torn  loose  with  the  cable. 

About  noon  the  wind  lulled,  and  at  last  the  Ark 
could  be  effectively  driven  in  the  direction  of  the 
buoy.  But  their  progress  was  slow,  and  night  came 


NEW  AMERICA  383 

on  once  more.  During  the  hours  of  darkness  the 
wind  ceased  entirely,  and  the  sea  became  calm.  With 
the  sunrise  the  search  for  the  buoy  was  begun  in 
earnest.  The  passengers  were  now  allowed  to  go 
upon  some  of  the  decks,  and  to  assemble  in  the  grand 
saloon,  but  no  interference  was  permitted  with  the 
navigators  of  the  Ark.  Never  had  Captain  Arms 
so  fully  exhibited  his  qualities  as  a  seaman. 

"  We'll  find  that  porpoise  if  it's  still  afloat,"  he 
declared. 

About  half  after  eight  o'clock  a  cry  ran  through 
the  ship,  bringing  everybody  out  on  the  decks. 

The  captain  had  discovered  the  buoy  through  his 
glass  I 

It  lay  away  to  the  nor'ard,  about  a  mile,  and  as 
they  approached  all  could  see  the  streamer,  hanging 
down  its  pole,  a  red  streak  in  the  sunshine. 

"Hurrah!  Hurrah!  Hurrah!"  The  Ark  echoed 
with  glad  cries  from  stem  to  stern.  A  thousand  ques 
tions  were  shouted  at  the  captain  on  his  bridge,  but 
he  was  imperturbable.  He  only  glanced  at  his  watch, 
and  then  said,  in  an  undertone,  to  Joseph  Smith,  who 
stood  beside  him : 

"  Forty-seven  hours  and  twenty  minutes.  By  the 
time  we  can  get  the  cable  back  on  the  drum  it  will  be 
full  forty-eight  hours  since  they  started,  and  the  air 
in  the  bell  could  be  kept  in  condition  no  longer  than 
that.  It  may  take  as  much  as  two  hours  more  to 
draw  it  up." 


384  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"  Can  you  do  it  so  rapidly  as  that?  "  asked  Smith, 
his  voice  trembling. 

"  I'll  do  it  or  bust,"  returned  the  captain.  "  Per 
haps  they  may  yet  be  alive." 

Smith  turned  his  eyes  upward  and  clasped  his 
hands.  The  Ark  was  put  to  its  utmost  speed,  and 
within  the  time  estimated  by  the  captain  the  cable  was 
once  more  on  the  great  drum.  Before  starting  it  the 
captain  attached  the  telephone  and  shouted  down. 
There  was  no  reply. 

"  Start  gently,  and  then,  if  she  draws,  drive  for 
your  lubberly  lives,"  he  said  to  the  men  in  charge  of 
the  big  donkey  engine. 

The  moment  it  began  to  turn  he  inspected  the  in 
dicator. 

"  Hurrah  1  "  he  exclaimed.  "  She  pulls;  the  bell  is 
attached." 

The  crowded  decks  broke  into  a  cheer.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  Ark  was  vibrating  with  the  strokes  of 
the  engine.  Within  five  minutes  the  strong,  slender 
cable  was  issuing  out  of  the  depths  at  the  rate  of 
250  feet  a  minute.  But  there  were  six  miles  of  it  I 
The  engineer  controlling  the  drum  shook  his  head. 

"  We  may  break  the  cable,"  he  said. 

"Go  on!"  shouted  Captain  Arms.  "It's  their 
only  chance.  Every  second  of  delay  means  sure 
death." 

Within  forty  minutes  the  cable  was  coming  up  300 
feet  a  minute.  The  speed  increased  as  the  bell  rose 


NEW  AMERICA  385; 

out  of  the  depths.  It  was  just  one  hour  and  forty- 
five  minutes  after  the  drum  began  to  revolve  when 
the  anxious  watchers  were  thrown  into  a  furore  of 
excitement  by  the  appearance  of  a  shining  blue  point 
deep  beneath.  It  was  the  belli  Again  there  broke 
forth  a  tempest  of  cheers. 

Rapidly  the  rising  bell  grew  larger  under  their 
eyes,  until  at  last  it  burst  the  surface  of  the  sea.  The 
engine  had  been  skillfully  slowed  at  the  last  moment, 
and  the  rescued  bell  stopped  at  the  level  of  the  deck 
open  to  receive  it.  With  mad  haste  it  was  drawn 
aboard  and  the  hermetic  door  was  opened.  Those 
who  were  near  enough  glanced  inside  and  turned  pale. 
Tumbled  in  a  heap  at  the  bottom  lay  the  six  men, 
with  yellow  faces  and  blank,  staring  eyes.  In  an  in 
stant  they  were  lifted  out  and  two  doctors  sprang  to 
the  side  of  each.  Were  they  dead?  Could  any  skill 
revive  them?  A  hush  as  of  death  spread  over  the 
great  vessel. 

They  were  not  dead.  The  skill  of  the  physicians 
brought  them,  one  after  another,  slowly  back  to  con 
sciousness.  But  it  was  two  full  days  before  they 
could  rise  from  their  beds,  and  three  before  they  could 
begin  to  tell  their  story — the  story  of  the  wonders 
they  had  seen,  and  of  the  dreadful  struggle  for  breath 
in  the  imprisoned  bell  before  they  had  sunk  into  un 
consciousness.  Not  a  word  was  ever  spoken  about 
the  strange  outbreak  of  Blank  at  the  sight  of  the 


386  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

gold,  although  the  others  all  recorded  it  in  their  note 
books.  He  himself  never  referred  to  it,  and  it 
seemed  to  have  faded  from  his  mind. 

As  soon  as  it  was  evident  that  the  rescued  men 
would  recover,  Captain  Arms,  acting  on  his  own  re 
sponsibility,  had  started  the  Ark  on  its  westward 
course.  It  was  a  long  and  tedious  journey  that  they 
had  yet  before  them,  but  the  monotony  was  broken 
by  the  undying  interest  in  the  marvelous  story  of  the 
adventures  of  the  bell. 

Three  weeks  after  they  left  the  vicinity  of  New 
York,  the  observations  showed  that  they  must  be 
nearing  the  eastern  border  of  the  Colorado  plateau. 
Then  one  day  a  bird  alighted  on  the  railing  of  the 
bridge,  close  beside  Cosmo  and  Captain  Arms. 

"A  bird!"  cried  Cosmo.  "But  it  is  incredible 
that  a  bird  should  be  here]  How  can  it  ever  have 
kept  itself  afloat?  It  surely  could  not  have  remained 
in  the  air  all  this  time,  and  it  could  not  have  rested 
on  the  waves  during  the  downpour  from  the  sky !  Its 
presence  here  is  absolutely  miraculous !  " 

The  poor  bird,  evidently  exhausted  by  a  long  jour 
ney,  remained  upon  the  rail,  and  permitted  Cosmo  to 
approach  closely  before  taking  flight  to  another  part 
of  the  Ark.  Cosmo  at  first  thought  that  it  might 
have  escaped  from  his  aviary  below. 

But  close  inspection  satisfied  him  that  it  was  of  a 
different  species  from  any  that  he  had  taken  into  the 
Ark,  and  the  more  he  thought  of  the  strangeness  of 


NEW  AMERICA  387 

its  appearance  here  the  greater  was  his  bewilderment. 

While  he  was  puzzling  over  the  subject  the  bird 
was  seen  by  many  of  the  passengers,  flitting  from  one 
part  of  the  vessel  to  another,  and  they  were  as  much 
astonished  as  Cosmo  had  been,  and  all  sorts  of  con 
jectures  were  made  to  account  for  the  little  creature's 
escape  from  the  flood. 

But  within  an  hour  or  two  Cosmo  and  the  captain, 
who  were  now  much  oftener  alone  upon  the  bridge 
than  they  had  been  during  their  passage  over  the 
eastern  continents,  had  another,  and  an  incomparably 
greater,  surprise. 

It  was  the  call  of  "  Land,  ho !  "  from  the  lookout. 

"  Land!  "  exclaimed  Cosmo.  "Land!  How  can 
there  be  any  land?  " 

Captain  Arms  was  no  less  incredulous,  and  he  called 
the  lookout  down,  accused  him  of  having  mistaken 
a  sleeping  whale  for  a  landfall,  and  sent  another  man 
aloft  in  his  place.  But  in  a  few  minutes  the  same  call 
of  "  Land,  ho !  "  was  repeated. 

The  captain  got  the  bearings  of  the  mysterious  ob 
ject  this  time,  and  the  Ark  was  sent  for  it  at  her 
highest  speed.  It  rose  steadily  out  of  the  water  until 
there  could  be  no  possibility  of  not  recognizing  it  as 
the  top  of  a  mountain. 

When  it  had  risen  still  higher,  until  its  form 
seemed  gigantic  against  the  horizon,  Captain  Arms, 
throwing  away  his  tobacco  with  an  emphatic  gesture, 
and  striking  his  palm  on  the  rail,  fairly  shouted: 


388  ,THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

"The  Pike!  By— the  old  Pike!  There  she 
blows !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  Pike's  Peak?  "  demanded  Cosmo. 

"Do  I  mean  Pike's  Peak?"  cried  the  captain, 
whose  excitement  had  become  uncontrollable.  "  Yes, 
I  mean  Pike's  Peak,  and  the  deuce  to  him!  Wasn't 
I  born  at  his  foot?  Didn't  I  play  ball  in  the  Garden 
of  the  Gods?  And  look  at  him,  Mr.  Versal!  There 
he  stands !  No  water-squirting  pirate  of  a  nebula 
could  down  the  old  Pike !  " 

The  excitement  of  everybody  else  was  almost  equal 
to  the  captain's,  when  the  grand  mass  of  the  mountain, 
with  its  characteristic  profile,  came  into  view  from  the 
promenade-decks. 

De  Beauxchamps,  King  Richard,  and  Amos  Blank 
hurried  to  the  bridge,  which  they  were  still  privileged 
to  invade,  and  the  two  former  in  particular  asked 
questions  faster  than  they  could  be  answered.  Mean 
while,  they  were  swiftly  approaching  the  mountain. 

King  Richard  seemed  to  be  under  the  impression 
that  they  had  completed  the  circuit  of  the  world  ahead 
of  time,  and  his  first  remark  was  to  the  effect  that 
Mount  Everest  appeared  to  be  rising  faster  than  they 
had  anticipated. 

'  That's  none  of  your  pagodas !  "  exclaimed  the 
captain  disdainfully;  "that's  old  Pike;  and  if  you 
can  find  a  better  crown  for  the  world,  I'd  like  to  see 
it." 

The  king  looked  puzzled,  and  Cosmo  explained 


NEW  AMERICA  389 

that  they  were  still  near  the  center  of  the  American 
continent,  and  that  the  great  peak  before  them  was 
the  sentinel  bf  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

"  But,"  replied  the  king,  "  I  understood  you  that 
the  whole  world  was  covered,  and  that  the  Hima 
layas  would  be  the  first  to  emerge." 

"  That's  what  I  believed,"  said  Cosmo,  "  but  the 
facts  are  against  me." 

"  So  you  thought  you  were  going  to  run  over  the 
Rockies !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  gleefully.  "  They're 
no  Gaurisankars,  hey,  M.  De  Beauxchamps?  " 

"Five  les  Rockies!  Five  le  Pike!"  cried  the 
Frenchman,  catching  the  captain's  enthusiasm. 

"But  how  do  you  explain  it?"  asked  King 
Richard. 

"  It's  the  batholite,"  responded  Cosmo,  using  ex 
actly  the  same  phrase  that  Professor  Pludder  had 
employed  some  months  before. 

"  And  pray  explain  to  me  what  is  a  batholite?  " 

Before  Cosmo  Versal  could  reply  there  was  a  ter 
rific  crash,  and  the  Ark,  for  the  third  time  in  her 
brief  career,  had  made  an  unexpected  landing.  But 
this  time  the  accident  was  disastrous. 

All  on  the  bridge,  including  Captain  Arms,  who 
should  surely  have  known  the  lay  of  the  land  about 
his  childhood's  home,  had  been  so  interested  in  their 
talk  that  before  they  were  aware  of  the  danger  the 
great  vessel  had  run  her  nose  upon  a  projecting  but 
tress  of  the  mountain. 


390  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

She  was  going  at  full  speed,  too.  Not  a  person 
aboard  but  was  thrown  from  his  feet,  and  several 
were  severely  injured. 

The  prow  of  the  Ark  was  driven  high  upon  a 
sloping  surface  of  rock,  and  the  tearing  sounds  showed 
only  too  clearly  that  this  time  both  bottoms  had  been 
penetrated,  and  that  there  could  be  no  hope  of  saving 
the  huge  ship  or  getting  her  off. 

Perhaps  at  no  time  in  all  their  adventures  had  the 
passengers  of  the  Ark  been  so  completely  terrorized 
and  demoralized,  and  many  members  of  the  crew 
were  in  no  better  state.  Cosmo  and  the  captain 
shouted  orders,  and  ran  down  into  the  hold  to  see  the 
extent  of  the  damage.  Water  was  pouring  in  through 
the  big  rents  in  torrents. 

There  was  plainly  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  get 
everybody  out  of  the  vessel  and  upon  the  rocks  as 
rapidly  as  possible. 

The  forward  parts  of  the  promenade-deck  directly 
overhung  the  rock  upon  which  the  Ark  had  forced 
itself,  and  it  was  possible  for  many  to  be  let  down 
that  way.  At  the  same  time  boats  were  set  afloat, 
and  dozens  got  ashore  in  them. 

While  everybody  was  thus  occupied  with  things 
immediately  concerning  their  safety,  nobody  paid  any 
attention  to  the  approach  of  a  boat,  which  had  set 
out  from  a  kind  of  bight  in  the  face  of  the  mountain. 

Cosmo  was  at  the  head  of  the  accommodation- 
ladder  that  was  being  let  down  on  the  starboard  side, 


NEW  AMERICA  391 

when  he  heard  a  shout,  and,  lifting  his  eyes  from 
his  work,  was  startled  to  see  a  boat  containing,  be 
side  the  rowers,  two  men  whom  he  instantly  recog 
nized — they  were  President  Samson  and  Professor 
Pludder. 

Their  sudden  appearance  here  astonished  him  as 
much  as  that  of  Pike's  Peak  itself  had  done.  He 
dropped  his  hands  and  stared  at  them  as  their  boat 
swiftly  approached.  The  ladder  had  just  been  got 
ready,  and  the  moment  the  boat  touched  its  foot  Pro 
fessor  Pludder  mounted  to  the  deck  of  the  Ark  as 
rapidly  as  his  great  weight  would  permit. 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  as  his  foot  met  the  deck, 
and  smilingly  said : 

'  Versal,  you  were  right  about  the  nebula." 

"  Pludder,"  responded  Cosmo,  immediately  recov 
ering  his  aplomb,  and  taking  the  extended  hand  of  the 
professor,  "  you  certainly  know  the  truth  when  you 
see  it." 

Not  another  word  was  exchanged  between  them 
for  the  time,  and  Professor  Pludder  instantly  set  to 
work  aiding  the  passengers  to  descend  the  ladder. 
Cosmo  waved  his  hand  in  greeting  to  the  President, 
who  remained  in  the  boat,  and  politely  lifted  his  tall, 
but  sadly  battered  hat  in  response. 

The  Ark  had  become  so  firmly  lodged  that,  after 
the  passengers  had  all  got  ashore,  Cosmo  decided  to 
open  a  way  through  the  forward  end  of  the  vessel 
by  removing  some  of  the  plates,  so  that  the  animals 


392  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

could  be  taken  ashore  direct  from  their  deck  by  sim 
ply  descending  a  slightly  sloping  gangway. 

This  was  a  work  that  required  a  whole  day,  and 
while  it  was  going  forward  under  Cosmo's  directions 
the  passengers,  and  such  of  the  crew  as  were  not 
needed,  found  their  way,  led  by  the  professor  and 
the  President,  round  a  bluff  into  a  kind  of  mountain 
lap,  where  they  were  astonished  to  see  many  rough 
cottages,  situated  picturesquely  among  the  rocks,  and 
small  cultivated  spaces,  with  grass  and  flowers,  sur 
rounding  them. 

Here  dwelt  some  hundreds  of  people,  who  received 
the  shipwrecked  company  with  Western  hospitality, 
after  the  first  effects  of  their  astonishment  had  worn 
off.  It  appears  that,  owing  to  its  concealment  by 
a  projecting  part  of  the  mountain,  the  Ark  had  not 
been  seen  until  just  at  the  moment  when  it  went 
ashore. 

Although  it  was  now  the  early  part  of  September, 
the  air  was  warm  and  balmy,  and  barn-yard  fowls 
were  clucking  and  scratching  about  the  rather  meager 
soil  around  the  houses  and  outbuildings. 

There  was  not  room  in  this  place  for  all  the  new 
comers,  but  Professor  Pludder  assured  them  that  in 
many  of  the  neighboring  hollows,  which  had  formerly 
been  mountain  gorges,  there  were  similar  settlements, 
and  that  room  would  be  found  for  all. 

Parties  were  sent  off  under  the  lead  of  guides,  and 
great  was  the  amazement,  and,  it  may  be  added,  joy, 


NEW  AMERICA  393 

with  which  they  were  received  in  the  little  communi 
ties  that  clustered  about  the  flanks  of  the  mountain. 

About  half  of  Cosmo's  animals  had  perished,  most 
of  them  during  the  terrible  experiences  attending  the 
arrival  of  the  nucleus,  which  have  already  been  de 
scribed,  but  those  that  remained  were  in  fairly  good 
condition,  and  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  ele 
phants,  they  seemed  glad  to  feel  solid  ground  once 
more  under  their  feet. 

The  elephants  had  considerable  difficulty  in  making 
their  way  over  the  rocks  to  the  little  village,  but 
finally  all  were  got  to  a  place  of  security.  The  great 
Californian  cattle  caused  hardly  less  trouble  than  the 
elephants,  but  the  Astorian  turtles  appeared  to  feel 
themselves  at  home  at  once. 

Cosmo,  with  King  Richard,  De  Beauxchamps, 
Amos  Blank,  Captain  Arms,  and  Joseph  Smith,  be 
came  the  guests  of  Professor  Pludder  and  the  Presi 
dent  in  their  modest  dwellings,  and  as  soon  as  a  little 
order  had  been  established  explanations  began.  Pro 
fessor  Pludder  was  the  first  spokesman,  the  scene  be 
ing  the  President's  "  parlor." 

He  told  of  their  escape  from  Washington  and  of 
their  arrival  on  the  Colorado  plateau. 

''  When  the  storm  recommenced,"  he  said,  "  I  rec 
ognized  the  complete  truth  of  your  theory,  Mr.  Ver- 
sal — I  had  partially  recognized  it  before — and  I  made 
every  preparation  for  the  emergency. 

"  The  downfall,  upon  the  whole,  was  not  as  severe 


394  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

here  as  it  'had  been  during  the  earlier  days  of  the 
deluge,  but  it  must  have  been  far  more  severe  else 
where. 

'  The  sea  around  us  began  to  rise,  and  then  sud 
denly  the  rise  ceased.  After  studying  the  matter  I 
concluded  that  a  batholite  was  rising  under  this  re 
gion,  and  that  there  was  a  chance  that  we  might 
escape  submergence  through  its  influence." 

"  Pardon  me,"  interrupted  King  Richard,  "  but 
Mr.  Versal  has  already  spoken  of  a  '  batholite.' 
What  does  that  mean?  " 

"  I  imagine,"  replied  the  professor,  smiling,  u  that 
neither  Mr.  Versal  nor  I  have  used  the  term  in  a 
strictly  technical  sense.  At  least  we  have  vastly  ex 
tended  and  modified  its  meaning  in  order  to  meet  the 
circumstances  of  our  case. 

"  Batholite  is  a  word  of  the  old  geology,  derived, 
from  a  language  which  was  once  widely  cultivated, 
Greek,  and  meaning,  in  substance,  stone,  or  rock, 
'  from  the  depths.' 

'  The  conception  underlying  it  is  that  of  an  im 
mense  mass  of  plastic  rock  rising  under  the  effects 
of  pressure  from  the  interior  of  the  globe,  forcing, 
and  in  part  melting  its  way  to  the  surface,  or  lifting 
up  the  superincumbent  crust. 

"  Geologists  had  discovered  the  existence  of  many 
great  batholites  that  had  risen  in  former  ages,  and 
there  were  some  gigantic  ones  known  in  this  part  of 
America." 


A 


NEW  AMERICA  395 

"  That,"  interposed  Cosmo,  "  was  the  basis  of  my 
idea  that  the  continents  would  rise  again,  only  I  sup 
posed  that  the  rise  would  first  manifest  itself  in  the 
Himalayan  region. 

"  However,  since  it  has  resulted  in  the  saving  of 
so  many  lives  here,  I  cannot  say  that  my  disappoint 
ment  goes  beyond  the  natural  mortification  of  a  man 
of  science  upon  discovering  that  he  has  been  in 
error." 

"  I  believe,"  said  Professor  Pludder,  "  that  at  least 
a  million  have  survived  here  in  the  heart  of  the  con 
tinent  through  the  uprising  of  the  crust.  We  have 
made  explorations  in  many  directions,  and  have  found 
that  through  all  the  Coloradan  region  people  have 
succeeded  in  escaping  to  the  heights. 

"  Since  the  water,  although  it  began  to  rise  again 
after  the  first  arrest  of  the  advance  of  the  sea,  never 
attained  a  greater  elevation  than  about  7,500  feet 
as  measured  from  the  old  sea-level  contours,  there 
must  be  millions  of  acres,  not  to  say  square  miles, 
that  are  still  habitable. 

"  I  even  hope  that  the  uprising  has  extended  far 
through  the  Rocky  Mountain  region." 

Professor  Pludder  then  went  on  to  tell  how  they 
had  escaped  from  the  neighborhood  of  Colorado 
Springs  when  the  readvance  of  the  sea  began,  and 
how  at  last  it  became  evident  that  the  influence  of  the 
underlying  "  batholite  "  would  save  them  from  sub 
mergence. 


396  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

In  some  places,  he  said,  violent  phenomena  had 
been  manifested,  and  severe  earthquakes  had  been 
felt,  but  upon  the  whole,  he  thought,  not  many  had 
perished  through  that  cause. 

As  soon  as  some  degree  of  confidence  that  they 
were,  after  all,  to  escape  the  flood,  had  been  estab 
lished,  they  had  begun  to  cultivate  such  soil  as  they 
could  find,  and  now,  after  months  of  fair  weather, 
they  had  become  fairly  established  in  their  new 
homes. 

When  Cosmo,  on  his  side,  had  told  of  the  adven 
tures  of  the  Ark,  and  of  the  disappearance  of  the 
crown  of  the  world  in  Asia,  and  when  De  Beaux- 
champs  had  entertained  the  wondering  listeners  with 
his  account  of  the  submarine  explorations  of  the  Jules 
Verne  and  the  diving  bell,  the  company  at  last  broke 
up. 

From  this  point — the  arrival  of  the  Ark  in  Colo 
rado,  and  its  wreck  on  Pike's  Peak — the  literature  of 
our  subject  becomes  abundant,  but  we  cannot  pause 
to  review  it  in  detail. 

The  re-emergence  of  the  Colorado  mountain 
region  continued  slowly,  and  without  any  disastrous 
convulsions,  and  the  level  of  the  water  receded  year 
by  year  as  the  land  rose,  and  the  sea  lost  by  evapora 
tion  into  space  and  by  chemical  absorption  in  the 
crust. 

In  some  other  parts  of  the  Rockies,  as  Professor 


NEW  AMERICA  397 

Pludder  had  anticipated,  an  uprising  had  occurred, 
and  it  was  finally  estimated  that  as  many  as  three 
million  persons  survived  the  deluge. 

It  was  not  the  selected  band  with  which  Cosmo 
Versal  had  intended  to  regenerate  mankind,  but  from 
the  Ark  he  spread  a  leaven  which  had  its  effect  on 
the  succeeding  generations. 

He  taught  his  principles  of  eugenics,  and  implanted 
deep  the  germs  of  science,  in  which  he  was  greatly 
aided  by  Professor  Pludder,  and,  as  all  readers  of 
this  narrative  know,  we  have  every  reason  to  believe 
that  our  new  world,  although  its  population  has  not 
yet  grown  to  ten  millions,  is  far  superior,  in  every 
respect,  to  the  old  world  that  was  drowned. 

As  the  dry  land  spread  wider  extensive  farms  were 
developed,  and  for  a  long  time  there  was  almost  no 
other  occupation  than  that  of  cultivating  the  rich 
soil. 

President  Samson  was,  by  unanimous  vote,  elected 
President  of  the  republic  of  New  America,  and  King 
Richard  became  his"Secretary  of  State,  an  office,  he 
declared,  of  which  he  was  prouder  than  he  had  been 
of  his  kingship,  when  the  sound  of  the  British  drum 
beat  accompanied  the  sun  around  the  world. 

Amos  Blank,  returning  to  his  old  methods,  soon 
became  the  leading  farmer,  buying  out  the  others 
until  the  government  sternly  interfered  and  compelled 
him  to  relinquish  everything  but  five  hundred  acres 
of  ground. 


398  THE  SECOND  DELUGE 

But  on  this  Blank  developed  a  most  surprising  col 
lection  of  domestic  animals,  principally  from  the 
stocks  that  Cosmo  had  saved  in  the  Ark. 

The  elephants  died,  and  the  Astorian  turtles  did 
not  reproduce  their  kind,  but  the  gigantic  turkeys  and 
the  big  cattle  and  sheep  did  exceedingly  well,  and 
many  other  varieties  previously  unknown  were  gradu 
ally  developed  with  the  aid  of  Sir  Wilfrid  Athelstone, 
who  found  every  opportunity  to  apply  his  theories  in 
practice. 

Of  Costake  Theriade,  and  the  inter-atomic  force, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  remind  the  reader  that  the  mar 
velous  mechanical  powers  which  we  possess  to-day, 
and  which  we  draw  directly  from  the  hidden  stores  of 
the  electrons,  trace  their  origin  to  the  brain  of  the 
"  speculative  genius  "  from  Roumania,  whom  Cosmo 
Versal  had  the  insight  to  save  from  the  great  second 
deluge. 

All  of  these  actors  long  ago  passed  from  the  scene, 
President  Samson  being  the  last  survivor,  after  win 
ning  by  his  able  administration  the  title  of  the  second 
father  of  his  country.  But  to  the  last  he  showed  his 
magnanimity  by  honoring  Cosmo  Versal,  and  upon 
the  latter's  death  he  caused  to  be  carved,  high  on 
the  brow  of  the  great  mountain  on  which  his  voyage 
ended,  in  gigantic  letters,  cut  deep  in  the  living  rock, 
and  covered  with  shining,  incorrodible  levium,  an 
inscription  that  will  transmit  his  fame  to  the  remotest 
posterity : 


NEW  AMERICA  399 

HERE  RESTED  THE  ARK  OF 

COSMO  VERSAL! 
He  Foresaw  and  Prepared  for  the  Second  Deluge, 

And  Although  Nature 

Aided  Him  in  Unexpected  Ways, 

Yet,  but  for  Him,  His  Warnings,  and  His  Example 

The  World  of  Man  Would  Have  Ceased 

To  Exist. 

It  would  be  unjust  to  Mr.  Samson  to  suppose  that 
any  ironical  intention  was  in  his  mind  when  he  com 
posed  this  lofty  inscription. 


Postscriptum 

While  these  words  are  being  written,  news  comes 
of  the  return  of  an  aero,  driven  by  inter-atomic 
energy,  from  a  voyage  of  exploration  round  the  earth. 

It  appears  that  the  Alps  are  yet  deeply  buried,  but 
that  Mount  Everest  now  lifts  its  head  more  than 
ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  that  some  of  the 
loftiest  plains  of  Tibet  are  beginning  to  re-emerge. 

Thus  Cosmo  VersaPs  prediction  is  fulfilled,  though 
he  has  not  lived  to  see  it. 


THE   END 


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